week two ❧ saturday

[learnings]

[Nino's had a few shocks this trial to be sure--the realization that she's inevitably going to die is one of them, thanks to Laura, but those five votes were also shocking, even if she understands it wasn't on purpose--

It helps her to look after other people.

Serph was quiet during the trial (granted, he's always quiet, but--) and she's worried about him--so she goes searching.]

Serph... um, Serph...!

Comments

[varunastra]

[ Serph's rarely hard to find, when one goes looking - he tends to gravitate towards the beach or the plants. The things that didn't exist in the Junkyard, that were supposed to be waiting for them in Nirvana. However this ends, he might as well enjoy the scenery while he's alive to do it.

(Because he's two for two on places not turning out to be Nirvana after all, that's for sure.)

When Nino approaches, he's sitting on the beach, just close enough to the tide line for the waves to be hitting his feet when they come in. ]

Nino.

[ The five votes on her had been surprising, for about half a heartbeat, but as soon as he reached the conclusion that some people had made protest votes again, he'd further concluded that Nino was an obvious target for what those votes would be changed to. Whoever would cause the most outrage, he'd said earlier.

She fits that criteria easily enough. ]

How are you feeling?

[learnings]

[It's always a relief to find the people she cares about, as if she's afraid they'll disappear at some point. She knows it's not Thursday, but... in a game like this, isn't life so very tenuous?

She breathes out a sigh, and plops herself down next to him.]

I'm... okay!

[Ish.

Like.... probably a Hijikata level of "fine" here.]

Um...what about you? Are you doing okay, Serph?

[varunastra]

I am.

[ It's...well, maybe not the same level of bullshit as her own response, but it's certainly close, at the very least.

Because that's all they can do, isn't it? Pick themselves up and keep going. As leader of the Embryon, Serph never had the luxury of letting himself go to pieces when the going got tough. There were too many people depending on him.

He doesn't see her shadow with her, though. Hm. ]

Will Jaffar be worried that you're not close?

[learnings]

[That's cute. Nino giggles softly, shaking her head a little, and seems a bit lighter.]

I told Jaffar I was going to go looking for you!

[And apparently Jaffar was okay with Nino being out alone with the cannibal.

You know, Serph's just such a nice cannibal, it's hard to blame him.]

I won't stay out too long, so that he doesn't worry.

[varunastra]

[ Okay. He nods.

Just, you know. He's had enough reasons to almost go berserk in the last couple of weeks; Serph doesn't really want to set off another, here. ]

[learnings]

[Sorry that everything is basically a ticking time bomb when Jaffar is involved.]

I wanted to come check on you, though... everything's been really hard, and you're so quiet...

[So she wasn't sure how he was doing.]

[varunastra]

I'm sorry to have given you cause to worry.

[ He's used to fighting with a team of comrades who know him so well that his silence might as not be. He doesn't have to speak much because they can read him well without it.

Here, on the other hand... ]

I'm well.

[ ...well. Hungry, but not crazy-hungry. Stressed, but not so much he can't function. "Well" is probably an exaggeration, but he's as well as he can reasonably expect himself to be, given the circumstances. ]

[learnings]

["Well" is definitely an exaggeration, but she's glad that he's not suffering intensely or anything.

That's a small blessing.

So she nods quietly, expression thoughtful.]

I'm glad...

[A shake of her head, and:]

You're always really calm... it's kind of amazing.

[varunastra]

I've always needed to be, I suppose.

[ He...doesn't think too much on how he turned out the way he did, especially given the ridiculously complicated circumstances of his "birth" (so to speak); what's more important is the fact that he turned out as he did.

But with a tribe relying on him to keep his head and make the best choice for them, he's had plenty of practice at not losing his shit. ]

[learnings]

Always...? Because of how your world was, back home?

[She's curious about him, really; she can't help it. He's so calm but also he's a cannibal.

Those are two things that don't usually go together (she thinks)?]

[varunastra]

[ Well, to be fair, she hasn't seen him when he's getting hangry. ]

I was the leader of my tribe. Nothing I did would affect only me.

[ Granted, he still had Gale to be the Spock, but nonetheless, he couldn't go into things half-cocked. ]