imeeji_frontstage | (no subject)

Yeah? Cute.

[ ... gestures to a chair, let's say this is cafe ]

Might as well sit.

[Nodding his head in greeting and sipping his coffee]

Cafe isn't all that private, but if nothing else, talks like this probably boost audience popularity.

Do you think? [ a quiet laugh ]
I guess it's fair to say that diplomacy is actually kind of novel in this city.

Yeah. Ratings will skyrocket, whatever...

[ waves a hand. she's got some coffee too, but it's sitting untouched on the table for now. ]

So if you have questions, go ahead and ask.

Mm, feel free to go first.

[ she straightens in her seat a bit; folds her hands in front of her on the table ]

I still don't have the full story on what happened, but I don't need it to know that John was in the wrong.

I know it isn't as though our units have ever been allies, but I don't want us to become enemies, either.

... if that's the case, what do we have to talk about?

We wouldn't really go after LiliS unless you supported what John did as 'acceptable'. Or unless we thought we needed to make an example of LiliS in order to keep Wild City safe.

If LiliS supported what John did or came after us, then you'd have something to worry about. As it stands, we don't need to make an example out of Lilis....just John.

You'll maybe want to talk to Dahlia about watching her mouth though. She probably didn't mean anything by it, but coming into our home and bringing up the topic of eating us could be taken as a threat. Another team wouldn't be so understanding.

[ BIG OOF. a hand over her eyes. ]

She did mention that she was worried that she made things worse. Thank you for understanding.

[straightening again ] Of those of us who were there, I think she feels the failure to protect you most keenly, in fact. I'll remind her that people who don't know her well yet may find that sort of thing... well. Alarming. And that it's not the best way to help them.

—But no, none of us approve of what John did. Including, to be honest, John. If you all feel things won't be made right without dealing with him more... directly, we understand it as a just consequence.

She fucking said what-- no, it doesn't matter. We don't need any idiots wanting to protect us when they threaten us in the same breath.

[ scowling-- but.

... just taking her coffee finally, to sip. ]

Does John usually take pleasure in inviting violence onto himself?

Hunny was put off and obviously I didn’t want someone in our dorm who not only called us animals but talked about killing and eating us after one of theirs had just killed one of ours. Comes across as a threat rather than being considerate, you see?

“And if I ate someone, you'd all be angry about it and then you'd fight me, so that'd be even sadder!”

“I brought blood packs so I won't accidentally get too hungry and attack anyone.”

Talk to her about ‘some things better left unsaid’.

[ deliberate, voice even ] The point is taken, thank you.
She already understands that she is not welcome. And I will talk with her.

As for John—
I don’t think he takes pleasure in it, no. But... [ brows creasing a moment ]
Well, all I can really say with certainty is that he’ll die if he thinks it’s appropriate to die. It’s... the rest of this that’s seemingly new.

I'm not here to fulfill whatever death wish he thinks he has. If it comes to it, I'll make my decision.

What "rest of this" is new?

Just making sure Nychta is filled in too. That way if there was a further issue we could discuss it now and get it over with. Since that would involved more than just one member of Lilis.

If you're only interested in discussing just John's missteps, this meeting is pointless. If that's the case, we only need to talk with John.

As far as you go, you're just trying to ensure we won't come after Lilis over John, right? That decision is up to Nychta. I'll support whatever she needs to feel backed up by us.

My goal is to not have this become something where we strike each other relentlessly in games. I don’t want that kind of war with any unit, but you make Coriander happy, and that’s something worth protecting as well.

Nychta, [ turning to her ] I do not know you well, but I know you act as WILD CITY’s guardian. That alone should have been reason for John to show you a degree of respect. I cannot undo what has been done, but I can do everything in my power to make things right.

[ a pause ] The part of this that is new for John, at least as I’ve known him, is where he’d attack someone without planning to die in the attempt. He says he lost control. It is nowhere near sufficient as an excuse.

[ she nudges Silver gently, thanks, but. ]

If you think that alone would make John respect me your head's not on right. He doesn't respect shit about me. John doesn't see me as a guardian, he sees me as a fucking dog with no leash and decided to put me down like one. I don't see how that's "losing control." I have plenty of experience with losing control.

We don't relentlessly hound Lilis to begin with and with your Haruto clone there we especially had no intention of doing it. What kind of people do you think we are?

We don’t go after a unit for the actions of an individual. We haven’t punished Sensitiv for Izanagi and we wouldn’t punish Lilis for John.

If we hit Lilis in games, it’s not because of John.

And seconding Nychta that isn’t how respect works with John. I can get John here if we want to actually talk to him, by the way. He can answer that for us real quick.

[ When Nychta says, “a fucking dog with no leash,” there’s a subtle wince from Amaranth—sympathetic, maybe.

She turns to Silver. ] If you think it would help.
[ mournful, almost? ] You’d be the better judge of it, between us.

[ to Nychta ] ...And I know... entirely too well, in fact, what you mean—about John seeing you that way. To be very blunt, I do not think he has told me the entire truth of his feelings; it’s just that I don’t think I can get any more detail from him than I already have. But... speaking as just myself, rather than a representative of my unit...

[ she meets her eyes ] You have my entire sympathy, and my deepest anger on your behalf.

[ -- vaguely stunned by that, and confused, but she goes quiet.

... and after a moment, glances at Silver. ]

Up to you, Nychta. I can get John here for you if you’d like us to discuss things with him.

If you don’t want any action taken against Lilis as a whole, then we should get John here.As it stands through, I don’t think anyone on Lilis has much control over his behavior. So any talk without him will be ineffective.

He'll come, if you ask him.
Especially if you tell him that it's the best way to ensure his actions don't have repercussions for the rest of the unit.

... no. I don't want to see him.

I can't promise I wouldn't rip out his throat right here.

[ that's a pretty blatant lie, but she just leans heavily back against her chair and takes a long sip of her coffee. ]

Okay, if you don't want to see him then I won't call him.

[Reaching over to take her hand]

Want to head home then?

(no subject)

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