15strangers | trial 4 afterparty

trial 4 afterparty

[Boy, that all sure Just Happened, didn't it? It Sure Hecking Did.

Akane helps drag anyone who needs it out of the theater as best as she, a tiny frail sick girl, can, before heading straight to Hubert's room and retrieving the letter he had told her was there, and then finding a sheet of paper, a pen, and a small knife, writing a short one of her own, and paying Charon to send it to the afterlife.

After this she brings Hubert's letter to the mess hall, as gathering for food after these things seems like the common thread that's bound all of them together.

Akane herself still has a lowgrade fever, and that last trial was not easy on her, but it seems to her like there's more important things to do at the moment.]

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You did it quite well... and you had your reasons for doing so.

[ He looks back to Durandal and wipes away some blood absently. ]

A little bit, yeah. [ Everything today had been... a bit much overall. ] Between the things with Kira and Makima... then finding all of that out...? It was a lot but i'm sure nobody is going to think less of you for what you did.

We devils are known for being talented at deception.

[He cracks open the bottle of brandy and takes a drink from it.]

Just reminding them if they forgot.

Alastor...

[ Going to hold a hand out for said bottle. ]

Don't be like that. You're more than just a devil.

[He'll let Roland take it with a shake of his head.]

Maybe, but it's still useless to hide what you are. Never works in the long run.

[ Going to just take a drink from it, then hold it back out to Alastor afterward. ]

What you are, hm? Let's see... a genuinely talented, amazing person? Someone with a good heart and is sure of himself? Confident? Loving? Strong? Good-natured with a kind heart?

[ Oh he knows what you mean, sir. Just have to tease a little, but he's also being truthful. ]

Have I made my point clear or should I keep going?

[And now also blushing, and trying to hide it behind another pull from the bottle.]

You forgot scheming, manipulative...it might have been for their own good, but I still showed them I can be deceptive.

Up until now you haven't displayed that trait, so I don't think everyone is going to think less of you.

[ One hand idly went for the bottle, mostly on instinct. Somewhat amused as he'd caught sight of that blush. ]

Besides what happened with that whole mess, I never once have seen you be scheming OR manipulative.

I hid what I knew about Aoi. [Handing the bottle over.] 'S true that I've been making my plans more in the open here than I did with Jadow, but...

Still. I don't even know why so many people trusted me so easily, when they knew I was a devil.

That's still only ONE real time, Alastor.

[ Once the bottle was in hand, he took a light drink from it and hummed at the burn he got from that. Exhaled a breath, then held the bottle back out. ]

You never really gave them a reason to distrust you, either. I'd bet that none of them took one look at you and thought 'let's not trust him because he's a devil.'

I hid what I knew about Aoi from the end of the first week. I knew he wasn't the idiot goofball he acted like, I just rolled with it because I know the value of misdirection.

[A long pull.]

And I don't get why they wouldn't think that. The only devil who's ever...had people generally trust him had to save the entire human world for it.

You did? How did you figure it out so quickly, though?

[ Then there's him in that first week, who couldn't entirely pick up on the fact said person truly had been flirting with him. ]

Alastor. It's because you're inherently a good individual, and those of us here weren't so easily going to judge someone on their appearance or what they were.

Because I talked with him in private, and he dropped the act. He didn't tell me everything, but he showed he was actually clever and insightful.

[He shifts the bottle from one hand to the other.]

You know, back home, people didn't even trust devils in the day before Mundus' war. Even those of us who liked humans, it was assumed we'd happily screw them over the second it was more in our interests than cooperating.

Hmm... The way I see it? It's good that you kept those things secret as it might have affected the outcome of everything to this point.

[ Going to hold a hand out because yeah. Maybe not going for getting completely drunk right now but... the alcohol helps. ]

I believe you have mentioned that.. and if not? At least alluded to that, and I understand as that's how most people view vampires where I come from. [ One hand idly reached up to brush the cross on his rosary. ] Especially in the church. Most won't consider vampires to be anything other than abominations that need to be slain, and wouldn't trust a single one of them.

And how do you expect people would react if it had been a vampire who did all of that?

[He passes the bottle over.]

That would entirely depend on how they conducted themselves up until now, if they've proven themselves trustworthy or not.

[ His fingers curled around the bottle once he had it, taking a good drink from it. ]

I believe everyone has proven themselves to not be the type to judge others based on their initial appearance and assume they are or are not trustworthy. [ Holding that bottle back out to him. ] You've more than proven your worth, several times over.

[He takes the bottle and immediately tips it to his lips.]

All well and good, except I just showed them I can keep secrets and manipulate people with the best of them.

Against the best of them too, though that's more of a headache.

Alastor... listen. Nobody has turned on you or questioned you about that, have they?

[ Granted everyone's moods were absolutely atrocious and he was just.. still dizzy. He knew if Olivier were here, he'd tell him he wasn't allowed to be drinking with some kind of head injury but he didn't care. ]

All I can say is just... own up to it. Be truthful from now on. [ A hand was held out instinctively. ] You had your reasons, but now you know what to do going forwards.

[He absolutely doesn't plan on letting Roland walk on his own tonight, even when it doesn't involve climbing stairs. High alcohol tolerance or no, he's an enormous fall risk at the moment. Not that it stops Alastor from handing the bottle back...he's fully willing to carry him if he must.]

Everyone's got a lot on their minds. Was...a lot that came out earlier. Wouldn't be surprised if it hasn't sunk in yet how I was pulling their strings all trial.

[ Roland shifted a little in his seat, fully setting Durandal aside safely as to be able to face Alastor properly. He's only slightly started to feel that faint buzz from the alcohol, so it doesn't stop him from taking a small drink from the bottle once it'd been handed to him.

Once that's done, he used his free hand to lightly give him a small smack aside the head. Nothing that would really hurt someone with as high a pain tolerance as Alastor, but he needed to make something of a point. ]

You really are quite stubborn, aren't you?

[ He closed his eyes, exhaling a deep breath. Yeah he needed to talk to Ritsu a bit later this evening if he could, so perhaps slowing down on the alcohol may help. ]

If you're going to worry about that... should I be worried how they're going to see me, knowing I went and so easily took Hubert's life?

[He winces out of reflex, before trying to wave the smacking hand away.]

Hubert was...there was no preventing his death. I never met your Lord, after my time, but from what I've read...I think, if He isn't blocked from seeing us here? 'M sure he's proud. You stopped him from suffering.

[ That seems to make him pause a little, eyes widening just a touch. Somehow Alastor had touched right upon the same things he'd been worrying about, quiet for a moment before clearing his throat and nodding with a small smile on his face once more. ]

Y-Yeah. I refused to make him suffer more than he has already.. choosing to take mercy instead of drawing it out.

[ A slow exhale and he closed his eyes in thought, trying to sort out his thoughts without allowing himself to be emotional but it was only doing so much. ]

I just... It occurred to me I took a human life and that's not something I've ever done before. I feared those here may look at me differently because of that, or if I could be forgiven for it.

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trial 4 afterparty

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Should've been second week, oops.

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