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]

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. ]