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

[nachetanya]

Not people as much as myself.

[ she answers, again, evenly. It's possible that she's just being humble. ]

[georgeous]

Your transference works well then. I don't think I'm so unstable that you'd need to waste your efforts on me, but it's a useful skill.

[ Please herd this flock of useless sheep, Nachetanya. ]

[nachetanya]

I don't think you're unstable either, Mr. Ace. I do think you're upset, but I don't know what I can do for that.

[ She... ] I hope you don't take offense to our disagreements back there.

[georgeous]

[ He laughs. ]

As far as disagreement goes, you're far from the worst offender. You have an emotional bias that's for sure [ ew, feelings ] but it's not as though you're wrong to say that compassion for one another might help us out from now on.

Compassion and trust, I'd say, are still distinct from one another in the end.

[nachetanya]

They are.

[ She can admit that, running her nails lightly on the table. She looks away for a moment before making eye contact again. ]

Compassion is vitally important, lest everyone act in disagreeable ways, like Arietta did. But trust is a somewhat different thing. I don't think paranoia is helpful, but I actually like Wesker's skepticism.

[georgeous]

I don't like Wesker, but I agree that being distrustful is the only way we can hope to achieve anything here. That and the will to work together regardless.

[nachetanya]

Why do you consider distrust important, if I might ask?

[georgeous]

You can never know what truly is on someone else's mind, no matter how close you think you are. Bonds like that numb your perception and make you biased. Normally that is merely bothersome, but in our situation is may well be fatal.

[ He smiles. ]

I'm rather invested in surviving, so I won't allow myself to stop second-guessing.

[nachetanya]

I see... Again, I'm not sure you're really wrong.

[ She frowns a little and- ] I don't know I will agree completely, though.

[georgeous]

I thought you might not.

[ And that's because you're still a bit of a child is what he doesn't add. ]