come out of hiding, i'm right here beside you

[barehands]

[A while after the execution has ended, everyone will find a simple note slipped under their door.]

If you don't want to be alone after everything that's happening, some of us will be in the dining room. Even if you decide not to come, please remember that you aren't alone here.

[The note isn't signed, but the handwriting is feminine and neat.

For anyone who decides to come, there's a good array of food laid out on the table. There are some small and simple cakes, cookies, and pastries, a healthy amount of okonomiyaki, okayu, and other Japanese dishes (with a focus on rice and eggs), along with curry. In addition, there are pancakes, and a large pot of soup. It looks like a few people collaborated to make enough food for everyone here.

Just like the meal they shared together earlier in the week, the candles from the storage room lend a more peaceful light than the fluorescent lights above.]

Comments

[enhancements]

Well enough for Umbrella. Research and development in particular loves it as a data collection exercise.

[Everyone dies.]

[armamenta]

[How... fun...]

Do you think it's likely that this is the same sort of thing?

[enhancements]

[He actually has to think about it for a moment.]

...No. If you know enough to be concerned about the possibility, it's incredibly likely that you're not a blank slate. And besides, even if it were to be something like that, I don't recognize any of the templates here - and I know for a fact that I'm not one of them, besides.

[So we're probably not clones. At least, not ones that were created by Umbrella.]

Granted, there were a few experiments of a similar nature carried out years ago, closer to the corporation's conception, but those were discontinued and are therefore a moot point.

[armamenta]

[This is all very good to know, holy shit.]

And no one could pick those experiments back up again, right?

[enhancements]

...I can't imagine why they would, and perhaps more to the point I don't know why I would be involved.

[armamenta]

Maybe someone really has it out for you.

[But given the smirk, he's probably joking.]

[enhancements]

Oh, I know that several people do.

Do you really think I would have managed to get my position if I couldn't defeat them all?

[He sounds so proud of himself.]

[armamenta]

[look at you, you're so pleased...]

I'm not surprised by that at all. I can't see you leaving any loose ends that you couldn't handle on your own.

[enhancements]

Precisely.

[...]

Unfortunately, all that really resolves is the knowledge that this isn't Umbrella's doing.

[armamenta]

It's something, at least. Perhaps in time we'll learn more about the Transmitter and the people working with her.

[enhancements]

I won't be surprised if we don't, but I won't deny the possibility, either.

[He shrugs a bit.]

Optimism isn't particularly my strong suit, much to the chagrin of everyone here.

[...Why is he like this.]

[armamenta]

Hey, it's not like it bothers me any.

[But he's sort of smirking too because that is pretty damn funny.]

And the ones it does bother probably aren't worth talking to in the first place.

[they'll get their optimism all over everything and it'll be gross]

[enhancements]

[ew though.]

Good to know that you're so interested in my social well-being.

[armamenta]

Oh, of course. What would you do without me.

[asshole.]

[enhancements]

Realistically? I probably would have snapped on Wednesday night.

[it's about as flippant as he gets, but at the same time, why was there a dinner party. why were these our priorities.]

[armamenta]

I certainly wouldn't have blamed you.

[who let these two talk???]

[enhancements]

Mm, but the group would have, wouldn't they. And that would have been a problem - it seems that waiting for the rules to be clarified before doing anything worked out well enough.

["it worked out well enough" two people are dead]

[armamenta]

That's what I was hoping to see as well.

[thanks, arietta...????]

[enhancements]

...Good to see that we're on the same page.

[And that's back to being weird and blank and more or less addressed to the window.]

It's still stupid to move now. You understand that, don't you?

[armamenta]

Come on. Do you really think I'd do something so stupid?

[He shakes his head at that, even though Wesker's not looking at him.]

[enhancements]

I wouldn't put it past you.

[...Well, then.]

Nor would I blame you, mind. But I wouldn't put it past you, no.

[armamenta]

[wow rude]

That's not a concern.

[...right now, anyway.]

[enhancements]

[...]

It's nothing personal against you, you know.

[armamenta]

I didn't think it was.

[You don't trust anyone, do you?]

[enhancements]

As long as you understand that.

[...He doesn't, no.]