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]

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.