Ӿ 08 Ӿ

[grandbellknight]

[Croix was already at the Observation Deck when the fire pit appeared. ... Thanks for that. He probably would have had a slightly more comical reaction if he wasn't still a liiiittle on the angry side - as it was, he simply twitched, glared at it, and then looked around for any other changes in the room. And that scribbled message on the wall? Was definitely a change. Since then, he'd tried to make his way out, suspicious about what staying there could mean. No escape, huh? It figured.

So, he's been here. Pretty much just waiting for everyone else to show up. He's standing, arms crossed, leaning on his shoulder against the glass, and just looking out at the stars. Every once in a while, he glances back at that message on the wall.]

I think it's a safe guess that more trouble's on the way.

[And he is not looking forward to whatever is coming up next...]


((OoC: Do please come bother him! Or poke him via CAT if you're not quite there yet! Hell, if you want to mingle with others using this post, we can make this a mingle post. I don't care~ have at it, yo. o/))

Comments

[fortune_sought]

[it doesn't take long for Sophie to join him] Mr Croix! Have you found anything here? [she eyes that message on the screens, her expression dark]

[Action!]

[manicurious]

[It looks like Ichijou has already been to the kitchen, as he's shuffling around with a cup of what was once coffee, but is now vaguely coffee-flavored sugar milk.]

"On the way?" You don't think it's already here? I don't know about you, but I would consider freezing to death to be "trouble!"

[desertdaggers]

[super thrilled to be trapped, let him tell you]

It's pretty much the safest guess I've ever heard. Are they trying to get us to blame each other?

[grandbellknight]

[He shakes his head.] No. Just the writing there, and this... fire. [He gives said fire another look.] I don’t even see any wood. How exactly is it burning?

[grandbellknight]

I know. That’s why I said more trouble. [Though at the mention of the cold, he subconsciously pulls the jacket he’s wearing a little tighter. He blinks at the cup in Ichijou’s hands, curious.] What’s that?

[grandbellknight]

I wouldn’t be surprised. The best way to weaken a group is to turn them all on each other. Maybe that’s their angle this time... [His eyes narrow a bit at that thought.]

[manicurious]

This? It's just some coffee with extra cream and sugar. I thought that something sweet would make me feel better. I was hoping that it would be warm, too, but it hardly even stayed that way for a few seconds.

[It seems to be working a bit, at least. His next words come out rather playfully as he looks up at the strange writing.]

Well, what have yoooooooou done?

[grandbellknight]

Coffee... You know, I still haven't tried any of that.

[And he'd probably have elaborated a little, except he suddenly blurts out:]

I helped the Holy Maiden after she declared war against the Goddess.
I broke my promise to protect Luca.
I betrayed the Grand Bell Army.

[... .... .......]

What...? [He looks genuinely confused. Because seriously wtf just happened jdsklafd]

[manicurious]

[Ichijou looks just as confused.]

I wasn't being serious when I asked that.

[grandbellknight]

I-I-I know! But it came out anyway! And not all of that is even true! So just what is going on here...?

[He looks to the message on the wall, to Ichijou, back to the message... hmmmm. He turns to Ichijou again!]

Um... What have you done?

[manicurious]

Well that's unusual.

I've tortured people by jamming a needle under their fingernails!
I used to be very wealthy due to receiving a large inheritance!!
Once I was forced to drink an entire tub of my employer's bathwater!!!

[After that, he produces a croaking, squeaking sort of noise with his throat. Oh no. Oh HELL no.]

FORGET THAT YOU HEARD ANY OF THAT!

[grandbellknight]

[Staaaaaaare.]

Th-That's... probably going to be easier said than done...

[manicurious]

Well do it anyway!!

[grandbellknight]

Okay! Okay! I'll forget I heard it!

[He sighs, shakes his head... and crosses his arms a bit tighter. Geez, the cold is getting to him a little bit more now... ]

[fortune_sought]

[off-handedly] Magic, I would imagine.

[she mutters softly to herself:] What have you done? Hmph! As if we're the ones responsible for any of it.

[manicurious]

[Ichijou breaks eye contact and sighs back in return, not noticing that his breath isn't coming out as warm as it was just a moment ago. He takes a significant gulp of his drink in the ensuing awkward silence.]

...

So I guess that someone wants us to get to know each other better.

[grandbellknight]

Heh. Not the kind of magic I'm used to.

[After she asks, Croix answers, just barely keeping from speaking right over her tacked-on statement.]

I joined the Grand Bell Army to escape where I grew up.
I took in an orphan because I knew what it was like to lose your parents at such a young age.
I let an entire continent fall in order to save Luca's life.

[What in the--... Croix gives Sophie a very confused stare for a moment, and then decides to look out the window instead djfkalsj]

S-Sorry?

[grandbellknight]

[During said awkward silence, Croix really has nothing to do except look out the window at the stars. Which he's definitely doing. Yep. fdjaskl]

Well, they sure picked a great way of doing that, making us confess to things. [Sigh. ... And then he mutters:] Some of which aren't even true.

[tactilekonesis]

[Kon shows up a little bit later than the others. Although he's wearing Sophie's gloves, it's more a fashion statement than any outright need to wear warm clothes - he actually seems unaffected by the snow.]

... A fire pit, huh? I guess that's better than nothing.

[manicurious]

Y-yes...

[Fidget, fidget, fidget...]

If it makes things any better, at least I don't really understand the significance of any of the things that you confessed, even if some of them were true.

[desertdaggers]

Well, we'll just have to show that we're better than that. [crossing his arms] Besides, it's a very wide accusation, isn't it? What have you done… to cause what, exactly?

[grandbellknight]

[He does smile just a bit at the attempt, and he shakes his head.]

It's actually kind of a long story. [Maybe not. But he also doesn't really want to talk about it right now.] But if it matters, I don't really know about yours, either. E-Except, of course, I forgot that you said it at all! Right. [Deep breath.]

... Is it even colder than it was just a few minutes ago?

[grandbellknight]

I won a duel against a prince who then nearly committed suicide.
I killed Chancellor Alfman.
I've shared a bed with both of the Holy Maidens at the same time.

[...... Whoa. Pardon, Croix is going to look absolutely baffled for a moment. dfjakls]

[grandbellknight]

[Meanwhile, Croix's pretty damn cold, thanks. Luckily, he'd managed to find a coat sometime between the ending of all the chaos and now...]

Yeah, it could be worse. Though to be honest, I'm kind of waiting for it to get worse.

[desertdaggers]

[they can share that moment, then. Hawk uncrosses his arms, eyes wide.]

…well! That's… [he tilts his head for a moment, then offers Croix a grin that turns down more at one side than the other] Not all on the same day, surely.