weekend mingle featuring 5 pm brunch because time is meaningless now

[pr159]

[ There probably isn't a single person among them who isn't exhausted after that trial, so it's no surprise that, like last week, there's no party when it's over. Maybe some stay out and mill about the city, while others finally take the chance to get some well-deserved sleep.

Personally, Rideaux is absolutely going to bed now, because it's fucking 10 am or something, and that was a lot.

But when he wakes up again in what is nominally the afternoon, once he's taken a shower and no longer looks like a haggard mess, he's actually going to hole up in the kitchen at the clergy housing and make some pancakes. Just pancakes and nothing else, because this mix is "just add water!" and that's the extent of his cooking skills the most effort he's going to put into anything. Some of them may be slightly burned and oddly shaped, but they're free, so shut it.

There's also some coffee and some (cheap, not his good stuff) whiskey, so if you want to make a half-assed Irish coffee, he's not stopping you.

Is this supposed to be a distraction? Is this actually all just to celebrate the fact that Cumore briefly thought he was going to die and that was delicious to watch? Maybe, but no one has to know that. ]

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[raventhaw]

[ raven is going the fuck to sleep immediately after the trial.

after that, however, she shows up to the brunch. she's sitting at a table away from where most people are, eating some pancakes and sipping on a cup of coffee. lord knows she needs it after the shitshow that was that trial yesterday. she hasn't looked this...exhausted after a trial before, but if anyone approaches, she'll at least turn to them and say: ]

Do you need something?

[ after brunch, she can be found on the bridge, looking out into the distance. again, she won't turn away anyone who chooses to approach. she'll actually begin with a conversation starter: ]

We're close to the end. I hope you're ready for it.

[ towards the end of the day, raven can be found in her room, room 25. her door is...actually partially open, which is different than usual. anyone who peeks her head in will see her writing something down in her notebook. ]

her room;

[reanbeans]

[ Rean's knocking on her door lightly, because yes he saw her doing the thing from how it was open but it'd be rude to just hang there. ]

...Can I come in?

[raventhaw]

[ he's polite enough to knock, and she appreciates it, even though he didn't need to. she turns to look at him and nods. ]

Go ahead.

[reanbeans]

[ Rean will come in and close the door behind him so that they can have some privacy. Then, he'll head over to seat himself in a chair. ]

...Do you mind if I ask what you were up to?

[raventhaw]

I've been trying to form a plan.

[ there's a lot of writing in her notebook about the other survivors. analysis including strengths and weaknesses of each individual. rean's name is one of the first.

Rean: Trustworthy and can hold up well in a fight. A little too optimistic, I'm sure he knows that
Swordsmanship
Did not take a hint ]

It's easier to assign people roles when there's more information at our disposal about The Lady. Unfortunately that doesn't appear to be the case right now when we don't know everything about what she's planning.

[reanbeans]

So, a plan of attack? It's a good idea.

[ He'll notice his name right towards the top of the list...

He's not too surprised at the description, but it's not a bad one. ]

...No, not really. We're going to have to really go at it next week in order to figure it out, though.

I think everyone can agree that they've had enough.

[raventhaw]

[ she's not going to bother hiding her notes from him. just above his name are notes on shiro, if rean wants to look at those as well. ]

I don't doubt it. While I have reservations about us formulating a plan of attack on the fly, there's a chance we can pull something off with a little bit of pre-planning. We can get all the arguing and bickering out of the way earlier that way.

[ because lord knows there's going to be some. especially if things people have been hiding start coming to light. ]

There's something I've been meaning to ask you, actually, aside from all of this. [ she looks up at him and raises her eyebrow slightly. ]

Why is it that you come to me for my thoughts on our situation?

[reanbeans]

[ Rean felt bad but also...he'll look at her notes on Shiro because he was a wee bit curious. ]

Yeah, you're right. Honestly, doing things on the fly feels a little like how we had to deal with some situations back home...bickering included.

[ It was almost strangely nostalgic. Though, her question brought him out of his moment of reminisce enough that he just blinked.

...Then, he gained a sheepish look that softened into just a normal smile as he thought over his answer. ]

Well, I—you were a blunt person, but you never were that way for the sake of being so or to put down someone. It could sound cold at times, though I knew that it was your way of helping out by being who you are. You weren't the type to be easily swayed or to take advantage of anyone either, I could tell. You also didn't pull any punches so that when the time came, I wouldn't be too surprised. Or at least that's the feeling I had, just by being by your side.

...In all honesty, I think your mature outlook and straightforward personality helped prepare me for some nasty surprises here. So, I'm really thankful for that, and I don't think it's something I'd say I'd regret, Raven.

1/2

[raventhaw]

[ oh. oh, wow. for the first time in a while, raven's been effectively caught off-guard.

she never thought that anyone would want to really, sincerely give thought to any of her philosophies here -- not people like rean. but he has. despite his optimism, he'd taken her words to heart.

raven is feeling a Thing. and that thing is not going to go ignored. ]

[raventhaw]

[ she closes her eyes, and a small smile crosses her lips. it's not a smirk, it's not a shit-eating grin -- it's a genuine smile. it's not one many people have gotten to see back at home, but here it is. ]

You never fail to surprise me, Rean.

[ she closes her book and turns towards him. ]

I must say, I truly am impressed. I took you for a blind optimist so set in his ways that any opposing views were easily disregarded. I'll admit that I was wrong in that assumption. I've met many people who turned a blind eye to reality and refused to question anything. People who would just blindly obey everything their superiors asked of them. You aren't like that in the slightest.

You've made it this far. I'm pleased that you have.

1/2

[reanbeans]

...Ah.

[ Rean was definitely that type of person—he was used to being underestimated or even thought of as disingenuous due to just the way he was, so he didn't really expect much. And he never considered that anyone's fault—he always was thinking of other people's circumstances as the factor when someone acted a certain way.

It was why he did his best not to hold grudges (Ulquiorra, the Lady, and Shin were outliers and do not count.)

That being said, he hadn't anticipated Raven's reaction at all. There was that wonderful smile on her face—albeit small, it was one that immediately caught his attention. He couldn't remember seeing her give such an expression like this before at all.

So, her words, that smile, and the fact that her compliment—hell, even more than just one—was something of a huge rarity made him feel the embarrassment rise to his cheeks. But it wasn't a bad thing at all.

And there were times where he might want to humbly push aside a compliment, but knowing it was so rare of her to offer one at all made him not...want to do that. ]

2/2

[reanbeans]

...I really don't know what to say. Maybe I should start off with saying just thank you again? Haha, I just don't think I expected you to say those things, maybe. But, I don't mind them at all, especially since I can tell it's something you said earnestly and from the heart.

I'm not surprised that was your initial assumption, though. It's...actually something some people had thought of me back home—particularly in regards to me 'falling in line' without questioning everything. But, I learned to question everything back in the situation back home, considering the circumstances I had been pushed into.

[ It's strange, he would've felt kind of reluctant talking about it. But now...much less so. ]

I think I also have to say that it's been difficult making it as far as I have here, and it's certainly not been an easy road. But with your support and the other's, it's what helped make it possible.

[ It's exactly how he felt, plain and simple. There were many more words he could say, but he knew he could easily gush when he was feeling happy and he didn't want to embarrass himself.

Especially not when Raven was saying these positive things about him. ]

...And I know if we keep moving together despite all the difficulties thrown our way, victory will be ours.

[raventhaw]

There's no need to thank me. I'm just making an honest assessment.

[ she's still grinning at him. really, rean was probably the biggest surprise out of the bunch -- the most delightful one, anyway. while the last line is cheesy, it's true. raven's come to accept that there's no way she can get out of here on her own. there's a certain level of trust she feels towards her fellow captives. it's...

well, it's not something she was expecting, she'll say that much. ]

Questioning everything is something I've tried to tell my daughter, back at home. She seemed stubborn about not listening to me. I'm glad you've already started to do that.

Not everyone does at your age.

[reanbeans]

[ Rean internally warred for a second about what to say, because of his own faults, but he was actually still happy enough that his lack of self-esteem wasn't getting in the way for once. ]

You've...got a point.

[ He'll lightly rub at his cheek a bit.

And woah, she's a mom. He never would've guessed by just looking because—you know. ]

Well, there's always something to learn from listening to others. Of course I know there's more that goes into it than just that, but...it's usually a good place to start if you want to better yourself.

I wouldn't be able to study well under my former Master and at Thors Academy if I couldn't manage those things.

bridge

[bawcock]

[ He's more approaching the bridge than Raven, but he isn't against having a conversation. He comes closer and leans against the bridge. ]

Looks like it, not that we have any idea that that "end" entails.

[raventhaw]

That's the most frustrating part. It's easy to see what everyone's capable of by now, but we can't form a solid plan until we know more about what she's planning.

[ she shakes her head. ]

And knowing our group, if we have to act on the fly...that might not turn out so well for us.

[bawcock]

[ He has to sigh because, honestly, yeah. ]

I couldn't have put it better myself. Our future looks questionable at best, and that's coming from a thief. [ A shrug. ] I do have one plan though—not that it's much of one. Honestly, it barely even qualifies as an idea.

[raventhaw]

[ her eyes seem to widen a little at the mention of a plan. ]

You'd might as well say it. It's all we've got.

[bawcock]

[ Prepare for disappointment! ] Mostly, what we've been doing already.

We comb through the town again, bust down any locked doors we see, and go back over what we've already learned. If we put all the pieces together, maybe everything will make more sense than it did a few weeks ago.

[raventhaw]

Have you seen any other locked doors that we have yet to get into?

[bawcock]

Right now? Let's see...the greenhouse is the only one I can think of.

[raventhaw]

Then tomorrow, we [ as in...anyone here, really ] work on getting into the greenhouse. We also need to get access to that computer that was mentioned during our conversation with Twilight, unless someone's already handled it.

[bawcock]

If it's a normal lock, it shouldn't be too hard to open. Unless anyone needs my help, I'll leave it to someone else and focus on the computer.

I already know where to find it anyway.

[raventhaw]

I'd like to see what's on that computer too.

[ aka you're letting her go with you boy there's no yes or no here ]

[bawcock]

I wasn't planning on peeping at it then and there, but... why not? It's less work if we look at it where it is instead of carting it out of the place.