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

[mouflon]

[ Rin shrugs, the movement as brusque as the answer the comes a second later. ]

Better than you are, from the look on your face.

[ Who knew ducks could be so expressive? ]

[nothingcanstop]

[ Who indeed would've guessed? Della makes an active attempt to brighten at that. And you know? It works. ]

I'm mostly tired, honest. Can't say that's an experience I've ever had before.

[mouflon]

I'm pretty sure everyone here can say the same, in one way or another. It's not playing judge, jury, and executioner exactly, but it's pretty close.

[ And, you know what? It's made Rin tired, too. She lets some of it seep into her demeanor, in her posture and the set of her shoulders. ]

[nothingcanstop]

It's bound to leave all of us...messed up in some way.

[ Della can see the girl's let herself droop a bit, so... ]

You need anything? Eaten, right?

[mouflon]

[ She shakes her head. ]

Nah, I'm fine. This isn't... the first time I've pulled the trigger on someone, so to speak. It just doesn't typically involve this much spectacle.

[ That's the part that's getting to her. ]

[nothingcanstop]

[ She's so young, Della thinks first. But then, isn't she an insurgent? Wasn't that what it said? ]

Spectacle, that's a way to put it. [ The execution's... Yeah, not something she's going to forget. ] I bet if someone tried to...put him out of his misery beforehand, the Professor would just put them through that, too.

[mouflon]

It's like, fine, the investigation and interrogation is part of his experiment. But the execution? That's not there to teach him anything, and it's not for our benefit, either. It's just to make a show of things.

[ Even the slow, dispassionately cruel executions of the Moon Cell were nothing like it. ]

So, I don't doubt it. It was a deliberate decision on the Professor's part, and one made with malice.

[nothingcanstop]

...At least he's not pretending he's anything more than a sociopath.

[ His screwed up clarification. She's still thinking about that. ]

[mouflon]

[ Rin lets out a vague, grunting sound at that. ]

That's something Birkin and I have talked about before. Is it better for him to be a sadist, or someone who just doesn't care? I'd rather he pretend to have standards, personally. It means he has to keep himself on a leash, for appearance's sake.

[ And, considering that he's started to push them... ]

[nothingcanstop]

Until he stops caring about that and lies off the edge.

[ Della grumbles. ]

...I'm the opposite. I'd rather know what I'm dealing with from the start.

[mouflon]

Maybe you've got the right idea.

[ Rin doesn't often sound resigned, but she does when she sighs now. ]

That's another thing I said to Birkin. The evil mad scientist type isn't something I have experience with.

[nothingcanstop]

It's... [ She waves her hand back and forth. ] My uncle's the one with a lot of enemies, so...I've had a few experiences, on the outskirts. But, mostly it'd be [ a surprisingly decent Scottish accent ] ohhh, no need to worry ye little head, lassie, none at all!

[ And she leans back in her chair, with a soft grunt. ]

Ugh. Spy stuff.

[mouflon]

Huh.

[ She wouldn't have figured... But, then, Della's profile does talk about her adventuring lifestyle. Maybe she shouldn't be surprised. ]

I'm used to having enemies that think they're doing the right thing, or at least claim to. I used to think it would be so much easier if they just woke up one day and realized that they're the villains, but... If there's anything to make me doubt that, it's this.

[nothingcanstop]

...They've both got their down points.

[ Della wonders if General Lunaris counts, but... She thinks he may have been genuinely delusional. ]

The ones who're willing to twist and use anything to get what they want, even if it puts innocent people in danger. Those are the ones I hate the most.

[mouflon]

Yeah. I can agree with that. And I'd say the Professor has that trait in spades.

[ She pretty transparently looks in Piers' direction here. Poor dude is obviously not equipped to deal with this, and as far as Rin is concerned, he shouldn't be here. ]

It's not like... the things I do are pretty. But I always try to keep civilians out of it. I wouldn't be able to call myself any better if I didn't.

[nothingcanstop]

[ ...Yeah, he took all this very hard, didn't he? Not that any of them took it well, but. ]

...What...is it that you do? If you feel okay talking about that.

[mouflon]

You've read what my profile has to say, right? I'm sure you can figure it out.

[ It's not a no, exactly. But, just like she had said to Rhea during the trial... To Rin, how someone interprets her reputation says a lot about them. ]

[nothingcanstop]

I have. But, I like to hear things from people themselves, not through gossip.

[mouflon]

Then you're smarter than most people.

[ Honestly, she isn't used to this. People listening to her side of the story, instead of just accepting that she's a terrorist. It makes her feel... weird, but she clamps down on the feeling. ]

It's not like my profile is wrong. Insurgent is a lot more neutral than what I usually get called. I go where people resist the tyranny of the European plutocracy and help them fight back against it. Sometimes that involves hacking and cyber attacks, and sometimes that involves being another body in a ground war.

[nothingcanstop]

[ Slightly awkward that she fights the tyrannically wealthy, but she can clear up any rich duck misunderstandings if they come up. ]

Fighting for the good of the common people. And it certainly sounds like that's something you've been doing for quite awhile.

[mouflon]

[ Hey, don't worry, Rin loves money!! She, too, would love to be rich!! It's just bad when you use it for things that Rin doesn't like. She has layers, like an onion. ]

Yeah, I guess it is. That's what happens when you force a person's hand.

[nothingcanstop]

[ It's something she feels she has no choice but to do. ...That sure is different than choosing the life of adventuring. Della is quiet for a moment. ]

I sure hope you aren't doing this type of thing alone.

[mouflon]

[ whY DO YOU PEOPLE KEEP ASKING HER THAT

Rin looks away, and there's a tension in her jaw as she answers. ]

So long as there are people who feel the same way I do, there are people to fight beside me.

[nothingcanstop]

[ Because it's IMPORTANT, Rin!!

Della again takes a moment to think. ]

...It must at least get a little lonely. I'm sorry. I'm not...going to tell you to stop, if this is something you're so passionate about... And I'm sure you don't have to listen to me. But I'm sorry, if it's lonely.

[mouflon]

[ Oof. At that, Rin abruptly stands. ]

Whether it's lonely or not, that's none of your business.