is this darkness of the dawn and your friends are gone

[bogwife]

[Everything keeps happening so much and the only real constants are death and parties.

Zerinda takes the initiative to plan things this time, with Della helping her deliver the invitations either being slipped under doors again.]



[It gives everyone an hour or two to settle down from the investigation and trial. By 6 on the dot the tables in the lounge are packed with miscellaneous vending machine snacks, a large pot of a thick and warm white stew, a plate stacked with biscuits and cupcakes. So many cupcakes. Mira has been coping well with her stress.

There's also several bottles of wine, hot coffee and hot chocolate waiting for anyone thirsty.

Welcome to the party, ya'll.]

Comments

[mouflon]

[ ughhhhh ]

The trouble is figuring out whether something is going to be a problem before it becomes one. No offense, but I'm not really interested in throwing all my dirty laundry on the table for the rest of you to pick through.

[ What she actually means by dirty laundry is trauma but ha ha, ]

[fivestagegod]

Then don't. If this is another thing that's just a job to you, then treat it as such, but the rest of us are more interested in not dying than keeping secrets at this point.

[mouflon]

...If something does get to be a problem, I'll tell you then. How about that?

[fivestagegod]

Oh, come the hell on. No, you won't, simply because if it's a problem it's already well beyond the point of telling anyone.

I'm not telling you to do anything. No one is forcing you to be here, no one is forcing you to talk. Stop acting like I am.

[mouflon]

You're the one that started swinging. I'm trying to compromise, because believe it or not, I can be more interested in not dying without giving you the gory details of things that might not ever matter. Or have you never been on a need to know basis before?

[fivestagegod]

Rin. We get it. You've got the biggest dick in the room. Sit down and shut up if you're not interested in talking.

[mouflon]

I literally just said I'm trying to meet you halfway, you ass. What's your problem?

[fivestagegod]

Hey, I don't speak up for the sole purpose of announcing how pragmatic I am and how I'm not interested in talking about the thing everyone is currently talking about, and then go on about "need to know basis." I've told you that I'm not going to make you talk about anything, you're the one insisting that I'm insisting we meet anywhere.

Besides, you're the one who was going on to me about how nice and fucking fuzzy it makes you feel when everyone is on the same page and you can trust them beyond the scope of a job. If you're not extending that to us, that's more than fair. Just a job, no trust involved. Take the out and don't talk. This isn't hard.

[mouflon]

That's the point! You're the one who's bringing that up to throw it in my face and act like this is about not trusting anyone here, when that's never what it was about in the first place. All I'm trying to say is that there are things I don't want to talk about unless I have to, to anyone, no matter how much I do or don't trust them. That doesn't mean I won't if it turns out I have to after all.

That's it. That's all I wanted to make clear, that maybe something will come up and maybe you'll have to listen to it then.

[fivestagegod]

Oh, I'm sorry. I must have missed all the inherent trust behind "I'm not interested in throwing out my dirty laundry for all of you to pick through" like that's at all what this is about.

[mouflon]

Because that's what it feels like you're asking me to do! There are things I'd tell you if you asked me in private, but I don't want to just throw them out for everyone like this is... is... some sort of Q&A about my life experiences!

[fivestagegod]

No one is doing that.

[jesus christ.]

You say this like there isn't anything that I've told one other person here and no one else. Really damning shit, too. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not exactly volunteering to tell anyone my life story right now, either.

This isn't about your entire life story, this is about "also if the Professor pushes a button, my heart is going to literally explode and dump acid everywhere, you might want to watch out for that."

[mouflon]

[ ughhhh ]

It's nothing like that. And if it's... If the Professor does manage to come up with something that could really get to me, you'll be the first to know, Birkin. I know it probably doesn't mean anything to you to hear me say that, but I promise.

[fivestagegod]

...No, it means something.

[So there's that.]

[mouflon]

[ Tragically, this does a lot to make Rin cool off! ]

Like I said, I do trust the rest of you. Definitely over whatever the Professor has to say. So maybe there are things I'm not telling anyone right now, but you taking me at my word when I say I'll let you know means something to me, too.

[ ... ]

I guess the worst thing I can think of isn't something I've been particularly private about, either. I'm pretty sure everyone here already knows that I have enemies, and if the Professor threatened to help them out, I'd be in a pretty tight place.

[fivestagegod]

[he hates his life so much right now.]

That definitely scans, yeah. For what it's worth, I'm not going to be doing too great if "assistance to enemies" is offered for whatever reason, either.

[mouflon]

The fact that it'd be a problem for at least two of us makes it less of a "for whatever reason" and more of a "if that's what he decides he wants to do next", doesn't it? Either way, if we got through the week before this one, I'm pretty sure we can manage that without someone having to lock us in our rooms.