[not again] catchall for ant cabin

[fishingforcompliments]

Comments

[fishingforcompliments]

I am not as angry as him as I was.

[she shrugs lightly. asch is... asch. the one nice thing about all this is his level of grump is pretty consistent, so it's getting easier to realize that's just how he is and that he's not purposefully being a jerk.]

I cannot speak for whether or not he is angry with me, of course.

[menially]

[Well, that's good! At least one of them is trying to be mature here.]

I'd make sure you don't focus on it too much. A lot of what he says is just hot air.

Still. I think he's an interesting guy, somewhere under there.

[fishingforcompliments]

...

[is he, guy? is he really?]

Do you know him well, then?

[menially]

In a manner of speaking. We're not great friends or anything, but I've been around him longer than most people here.

[fishingforcompliments]

I see...

[hmmmmmmmm.]

[menially]

[... Someone's thinking real hard over there.

And meanwhile this guy is oblivious to the why.]

Sorry, Flayn. I told him I wouldn't give out any more information than that.

How we know each other is kind of complicated. He's definitely a jerk for a reason, but if he got past some of that bravado and insecurity of his and actually got to know people, he might have a really admirable side to him, you know? It's not something he can just learn overnight.

[fishingforcompliments]

[


she really doesn't look like she believes him.]

I... get the feeling he would not be very happy if he knew you were telling me this.

[menially]

Probably not. I don't think he likes anyone talking about him.

I didn't tell him there were any limitations on how I felt about him, though. If it helps other people consider looking past what's on the surface, then I don't mind if he gets mad at me for that.

[SHRUGS]

[fishingforcompliments]

He is probably going to throw you into the lake again.

[menially]

Then it's a good thing I can swim.

[fishingforcompliments]

But, the lake monster...

[menially]

It didn't catch me this last time, right?

Besides, I'll let you in on a secret. Asch helped me back up onto the dock right after he pushed me in, even though he was angry. So yeah, he might get mad. But I don't think he's actually going to do something that would kill me like that.

...

I knocked us both back in pretty much right away, though. Couldn't help myself.

[fishingforcompliments]

...

You seem to enjoy talking about him, Guy.

[menially]

He's been on my mind a lot lately, what can I say.

[this is definitely the right thing to tell the local shipper at this very moment]

Anyway, I doubt any of us will want to go back to the lake anytime soon, regardless.

[fishingforcompliments]

[hm.]

I think perhaps you ought to avoid anywhere there would be something into which he could throw you.

[menially]

Hahah... Flayn, we're both swordsmen. Even if he picks a fight, we'll work it out.

Unless this is a common way to solve problems where you're from, I mean.

[fishingforcompliments]

It is not, but given that you have already ended up in the lake once, I do not feel entirely unjustified in my concerns.

[menially]

[He'll shake his head.]

You don't have to worry so much about me, Flayn. I'll be fine.

...Are you doing okay? I know the trial was rough on everyone.

[fishingforcompliments]

[he can tell her he'll be fine when he hasn't gotten tossed in a lake!! also i s2g if he turns up dead tomorrow i will end you, nik]

I am as well as I can be. This is not the first time I have seen people die, but... [she shakes her head] It does not ever get any easier, I think.

[menially]

[I'll deathflag every week to keep this relationship spicy and fresh]

Yeah. It really doesn't.

He deserved better from us. They both did.

[fishingforcompliments]

[do not do this to me]

...we let them down.

[menially]

[you aint my mom]

...

We did.

The best we can do is find a way to turn this game around in our favor.

[fishingforcompliments]

I am certain that no one here will rest until we have.

[menially]

I hope so, Flayn.

Maybe we can be wiser in how we spend our time at the start of trials. Lack of evidence or not, we should have been taking action to check one another long before the halfway mark.

That's on all of us, though.

[fishingforcompliments]

We could have done that - however... would we have known what sorts of injuries to be looking for?

[her brow furrows]

There is certainly merit in verifying our injuries, but to look too soon could be equally risky. The footprints we found... once we discovered that there was a small number of us that could fit them, I do not think suspicion really left members of that group. If we become suspicious of someone too early, it could prevent us from identifying the true culprit.

...and I do not ever wish to see us fail to identify a killer again.