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[Sometimes they are just awkward assholes. He shakes his head at that, though.]
I heard from dear Euphausia that she was with them and the Magnus brothers out in the woods, last night... I don't know if one of them invited her or if she was out that way on her own.
I heard from dear Euphausia that she was with them and the Magnus brothers out in the woods, last night... I don't know if one of them invited her or if she was out that way on her own.
Well. I'll be glad of it if one of them was more considerate than I was, and thought to make sure she wasn't alone.
[kind of shitty of her, she's realizing.]
[kind of shitty of her, she's realizing.]
If the two of you had been fine with making your own way on Thursdays up to now, I don't necessarily think it was a lack of consideration on your part...
[He fusses over Marcoh, but he fusses over everyone.]
I do wonder why they chose the woods, though. They were already terrible enough to navigate even during the day...
[He fusses over Marcoh, but he fusses over everyone.]
I do wonder why they chose the woods, though. They were already terrible enough to navigate even during the day...
For one thing, it will be very difficult for us to investigate there...
Also, admittedly, there is an aesthetic to them.
Also, admittedly, there is an aesthetic to them.
[hmm. she's still nervous.]
I see. I shouldn't have told you anything.
I see. I shouldn't have told you anything.
True. If I were fleeing someone, that might be the place I would first think to flee to. After all, if I'm lost all night, that's better than dead. It might give the best chance someone would have to survive until sunrise.
[so... it's now making her think that's exactly what su waner was trying to do.]
[so... it's now making her think that's exactly what su waner was trying to do.]
[Lucas is out by the gazebo shortly after trial! Just kind of taking a hot second to breathe and come back down from the absolutely insane emotional rollercoaster the last thirty minutes or so were for him, in spite of his put-together demeanor. Can Yves stop being suspicious for one trial. He is going to eat his own left fist.
Whenever he spots Shadowheart, though, she'll get a little nod.]
Holding up alright after all of that?
Whenever he spots Shadowheart, though, she'll get a little nod.]
Holding up alright after all of that?
[whew, right? she's really just trying to find a place to stop and catch her breath for a moment, and this works perfectly fine.]
I think I'll never get used to that feeling, right at the end. It almost feels good to solve them, to make progress, like we're going to win.
And then we have to confront who may have done it, and all of that just vanishes.
I think I'll never get used to that feeling, right at the end. It almost feels good to solve them, to make progress, like we're going to win.
And then we have to confront who may have done it, and all of that just vanishes.
[A nod... He gets it.]
There could hardly ever be anything satisfying in uncovering the bloodied hands of a person who was presumably forced into the act against their will, after all...
[That flash of anger they all saw just brought him back to Zhongli's comment about wrath.]
There could hardly ever be anything satisfying in uncovering the bloodied hands of a person who was presumably forced into the act against their will, after all...
[That flash of anger they all saw just brought him back to Zhongli's comment about wrath.]
Yes. She isn't a soft person by any means, but there's strength in that. It's a quality to be admired. To see it twisted into something so ugly...
[Another slow nod. He stares off toward the flowers quietly, thinking.]
I do assume that might be what's happening, at least... A sin amplified in each individual impacted, or something along those lines. It does feel like a very biblical interference.
I do assume that might be what's happening, at least... A sin amplified in each individual impacted, or something along those lines. It does feel like a very biblical interference.
That isn't my religion, or our sins, but I suspect you're right.
It certainly makes it seem as though there's an outside force that wants to see us fail to redeem ourselves.
I would agree with that, though it says quite a bit that they need to twist and compel us in order to get us to "fail". Even the apple tree was presumably left untouched.
[Unless Neverah was both possessed and wanted an apple super bad which would be wild.]
[Unless Neverah was both possessed and wanted an apple super bad which would be wild.]
[it would be funny to be possessed and take an apple.]
So, I tried to ask her about it. She insisted she killed Su Waner because she was weak and terrible, and she was doing all of us a favor.
So, I tried to ask her about it. She insisted she killed Su Waner because she was weak and terrible, and she was doing all of us a favor.
Yes. It was almost - she wouldn't be able to explain, and then she'd get angry at me for badgering her about it.
From what I recall, Garrett was also quite irritated with the fact that people kept asking him why he'd done what he did. The answer that he gave was obviously unsatisfactory, and I imagine that when others pressed for more, he also didn't have much else to give.
[mouthing "garrett" to herself.]
No. I had the same frustrating experience with him - he kept insisting he did it to prove he was "better," but wouldn't explain what he meant. Though I admit I am not a great interrogator. I swiftly lost patience with both of them.
No. I had the same frustrating experience with him - he kept insisting he did it to prove he was "better," but wouldn't explain what he meant. Though I admit I am not a great interrogator. I swiftly lost patience with both of them.
[me as well like damn who's that]
You're a better interrogator than I am... After Jing Yuan and hearing just a bit of conversation from the other two, I chose not to ask either of them more directly for their reasons.
[Good to know(???) he was not wrong in assuming they were all bad and insane.]
You're a better interrogator than I am... After Jing Yuan and hearing just a bit of conversation from the other two, I chose not to ask either of them more directly for their reasons.
[Good to know(???) he was not wrong in assuming they were all bad and insane.]
[welcome to the memory zone... i'm throwing us right into it. she opens a door and they appear in the funhouse.
(you can watch this video for visuals / atmosphere if you like).
(you can watch this video for visuals / atmosphere if you like).
The memory is unfocused, hazy around the edges, something that happened long ago and is half forgotten, as though some of the glass on the funhouse mirrors is fogged or hazy. Maybe if you explore down a particular path, more will come to light, but for now, you follow.
A little girl wanders the forest, lost and fearful. It’s a cool night, not cold, but enough to shiver from the wind. It is pitch black except for the full, bright moon overhead, but the trees here loom impossibly tall overhead, nearly blocking out the light. She’s obviously worried, but not afraid. She keeps looking up at the sky, checking the position of the moon, taking a certain direction. She chews her lip and looks uncertain with herself, and she’s cut and bloodied her face from a branch, but she keeps wandering.
There’s no way to tell why this child is lost here, whether she’s been abandoned or left here on purpose or if there’s some other reason. There are a few branching side paths that maybe reflect thoughts, memories of earlier that night, of the reason, but Shadowheart - the real Shadowheart beside you - doesn’t choose to look that way, as she suddenly freezes in complete terror.
Bounding out from the woods is a large wolf. Impossibly large, really, imagined here the way it looked to the child it was looming over, much bigger and fiercer than her. The child is frozen as well. The wolf’s golden eyes are trained on her, fierce and dangerous, its teeth bared. As it pads slowly towards her, its ears press back and its tail swishes back and forth. Not even the posture of an animal hunting prey, but an animal itching for a fight, making itself an obvious threat.
Tears are rolling down the girl’s cheeks and she stumbles backwards, trembling. But then she realizes, behind her, is a woman in a mask, who puts a gentle hand on her shoulder.
And then there’s a path out of this section of mirrors, and a feeling like you must take it, you must leave this memory, because the only other direction to turn is down a dark, dark corridor and everything is telling you that you don’t want to go that way. Whatever memories continue on in that direction, they're hidden, and perhaps they should remain hidden. But Shadowheart is still frozen from fear at the sight of the wolf, so she has not yet left this memory behind.]
[It's so hard to keep your head straight when it's being bombarded with thoughts and feelings and sharp, biting fears that don't really belong to you. Lucas sees the wolf, sees the frightened young girl, and sees Shadowheart just as frozen, and he's left - really wanting to get out of here, first and foremost. The dark corridor is certainly not a welcome sight, even though he thinks, briefly, about Shadowheart's inability to remember back into her past even with the effects from the prior week. Just not having any answers, even then.
It's not like they can move from the memory right now anyway, since he's not about to leave a frightened Shadowheart behind. Instead, he moves nearer, reaching out to lightly touch her arm and speaking as quietly as if he's concerned the figures in the memory may well hear him if he's too loud.]
Shadowheart?
It's not like they can move from the memory right now anyway, since he's not about to leave a frightened Shadowheart behind. Instead, he moves nearer, reaching out to lightly touch her arm and speaking as quietly as if he's concerned the figures in the memory may well hear him if he's too loud.]
Shadowheart?
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