[NOT THAT THERE'S A LOT OF ROOM TO SLEEP RIGHT NOW OR TELL WHAT TIME IT IS... but eventually, people start losing energy and petering down to corners and beanbags.
Guy? Guy doesn't seem to be all that tired.
The bar is his seat of choice, an empty glass in hand, looking at it as though it might contain all the answers in the world and he's just deciding whether he's foolish enough to take a sip.
He'll start a bit when he hears the sounds of another behind him, though, straightening up.]
[ The bar has some decent seating, which makes it ideal when so many of them have to sprawl across the floors and in the corners. It's a nice space to stay out of the way. Seems like he isn't the first to think so, though he wishes he were more surprised that there's somebody else who can't quite sleep. ]
I'm sure they all need their rest, but I've never had much luck sleeping at a time like this.
[ They're lucky that nothing catastrophic happened but... he's still unsettled. He tries to look calm when he steps over though, motioning to the chair beside Guy. ]
If you would prefer to be left to your thoughts, I am happy to oblige. But otherwise... would you mind some company?
[He'll laugh lightly, nodding his consent.] Sure, go for it. This music is horrible to listen to on your own.
Let me know if there's anything you want from around the counter. I'm nothing special for bartending, but I know most of the basics. Though... damn, you're a hard tell. [There's a weird pause as he sets his chin on his hand and takes a look at the stranger. A little older than Luke, maybe? There's a maturity in how he holds himself that makes it hard to gauge.
[ He smiles at that, a little slanted. Should he be flattered? ]
Close. 17.
[ Age doesn't really matter in this case for Fantasy Medieval Times, but he tries not to overdo it anyway. Guy is also very plainly old to drink, though Dimitri wants to play along too. ]
I don't imagine you're much older yourself... 21, perhaps?
[ Oh, this guy's surprisingly pleasant compared to some of the rowdier folks. It's nice to find good company at this time of night, though he waves off the compliment. ]
My name is Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, prince of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. [ It's a mouthful, but he rattles it off in a perfunctory way. ] And yourself?
Ahh, that would explain it. [Very casually, in an almost comedic contrast with how easily he slips into a formal bow of his head.] It's a pleasure, Your Highness.
Guy Cecil. I work under the reign of His Majesty Emperor Peony the Ninth, ruler of the Malkuth Empire.
[ It's late, and for the most part no one should be out by the lake. Not after everything that's happened and how much trouble the black sands had caused them. And somehow, he's not surprised to see Guy there—he and Yu had some sort of connection, if trial was to be believed.
His boots clack against the wooden boardwalk as he approaches, announcing him. ]
Hello, Guy. I can go, if you'd prefer to be alone.
[Mmm. He hasn't heard that voice in a hot minute. He's cross-legged at the very end of the dock, sword on his lap, looking lost in thought until Dimitri's voice snaps him back.
He'll turn to the young prince, bowing his head polietly.]
Nah, you're fine. It's good to see you again, Your H-- ah, sorry. Dimitri.
[He'll gesture next to him, folding his arms against his knees, fingers draped together.]
[ ah, he remembered how he likes to be addressed. good work, guy. he answers with a polite nod, sweeping aside his capelet as he sits down beside him. ]
It certainly could have.
[ dimitri has known ogata for a while now, and while he wouldn't call their relationship friendly, it'd certainly. made for an unpleasant trial.
on the other hand... ]
I'm sorry for your loss. I wish more than anything I could have found him last night.
[his lips quirk up, a bitter laugh that doesn't quite emerge]
Nothing that can be done about that now, so I wouldn't go blaming yourself. Pretty sure this place is determined to make sure people can't interfere once something's been started, just like all the others.
[It's horribly unfair. But that's how it was in the temple. Why should this be any different?
...]
We wasted time, and we missed something crucial. It's a mistake I don't think we can't afford to repeat.
[ that does seem to be how all their previous 'games' function—but it doesn't make it any less frustrating. he looks out over the water, something hard and steeled in his eyes. ]
There's never enough time.
[ he's not even sure they missed something in their investigations, necessarily. maybe there was a connection they didn't see, a clue they didn't put in the right place. a person they didn't suspect. ]
There will be more mistakes, too. We will have to persevere through them, just as we will have to see the consequences of our crimes in the morning.
[ it's not exactly something he enjoys doing, stepping back into this cabin a second time, but he owes it to guy to visit. the fact that he's willing to talk—much less asked him to—is something he has to respect.
he steps in quietly, silent until he's seated in front of the cell. his words are formal, but not lacking in softness. ]
—Guy. You wished to speak?
ah yes time to pretend we were young and innocent and not dead for this thread
[He's camping out on the top bunk of the bed in the cell, back to the bars, though he'll turn and give Dimitri a polite smile when he sees him enter.]
Yeah. I'm glad you decided to come. [He'll slip off the bed, walking over to kneel across from Dimitri, his posture just as formal as Dimitri's words, even if he can't match his own in inflection right this moment.]
Could I ask you why you said what you said, at the end of the trial?
[ Guy is still poised for a man facing execution. he considers the question a moment, thoughts churning behind his eyes. ]
The stones made people question your tact, but from our conversations I did not take you as a cruel person.
[ whether or not he agreed with the gesture, the damage is done, and he doesn't have much interest on rehashing it. ]
Anyone who has lived through hardship—someone who saw war early in their life and still comes out of it with compassion in their heart, and the will to fight injustice... that's someone I think I could trust.
[This old topic again, hm...? It drops him into a more somber expression, smile present but thin, a gesture of platitude alone.]
...It's noble of you, Dimitri. But I think you're putting me on a pretty large pedestal.
Just because someone has retained their humanity through the struggles of war doesn't make them any better or worse than anyone else. You could put two people through the exact same scenarios, and their character, including their trustworthiness, would still be entirely unique.
To lose and to struggle—that changes people. And not always for the better. You see the true mettle of a man after he's seen suffering, and how he chooses to conduct himself after.
[ And he'd say they've all seen suffering. ]
It isn't about a pedestal. I am not saying you could not disappoint me, or that you are perhaps a paragon of a man. [ he doesn't know him well enough to say. ] But... have you never wanted to believe in the best of people, Guy?
Your reasoning is sound. I don't think anything I said truly clashes with that. It's your open willingness to believe in someone that I would call into question here.
I'm not saying that you shouldn't be giving people the benefit of the doubt, or think that they can pull through things despite how they might have acted in the past. [He thinks of Luke, of how he'd chosen to see that boy to the ends of the earth despite his mistakes.] But there needs to be a balance.
I would say I have been amicable to you, and I would say that what conversations we have had have been pleasant. But where do you draw the line between having belief in a person's ability to change, and being ignorant of what they might truly be doing because of that belief?
[It's less of a statement of implication and more a curiosity, trying to prod Dimitri for his reasonings. They're still not much more than strangers. For the prince to claim trust in a man he barely knows, while touching, is still idealistic enough to be questionable.]
[ Dimitri is exploring, mostly for the sake of something to do but sit in the mire of his own thoughts, and the poor, toppled suit of armor had told him he wasn't alone here. He's not surprised that the other dead would find refuge in such a place.
So he pushes the lounge door open the rest of the way with a quiet squeak of hinges and scrape of wood. ]
[ From the bup bar, to a castle bar in the afterlife... How far they've come. He follow the noise, peering over the bar to catch sight of a familiar, blond head of hair. ]
Hello, Guy.
[ He's not going to be pushy, but he's here to see what he's up to. ]
[He is on the floor! What a place to be. There's a half-filled glass in his hand and a bottle off to the side, his arms resting against his knees and those dusty blonde doggo ears tucked sullenly again his head.
A flick of his eyes, up to the prince, and then back to his glass.]
...Your Highness.
[There's a shallow nod, the address dry, a formality of habit, before he tips his glass back into his mouth in one smooth motion, clearing his throat at the sting.]
You definitely aren't wasting any time getting around here, huh.
[Something strikes a nerve, just barely, just enough to get Guy to tense.]
Yeah, well. Good thing we're just out of play. You'll have plenty of time to figure that out in your own lifetime. So don't dwell on it.
[He'll sigh as he raggedly lifts himself to his feet, swiping up the bottle with a resignation that just looks like he's been caught doing something he shouldn't. Back on the shelf it goes, as he moves to clean out the glass.]
They aren't thoughts meant to be spoken. I wouldn't have gone as far as I could from our jail cell otherwise. [And he wouldn't be drinking until his face felt just hot enough to tell that the alcohol had settled.] I appreciate the hand, but I'm not looking to sort out my grievances.
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WEEK ZERO - FRIDAY
Guy? Guy doesn't seem to be all that tired.
The bar is his seat of choice, an empty glass in hand, looking at it as though it might contain all the answers in the world and he's just deciding whether he's foolish enough to take a sip.
He'll start a bit when he hears the sounds of another behind him, though, straightening up.]
Hey. Didn't see you there.
I thought most people would be out cold by now.
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I'm sure they all need their rest, but I've never had much luck sleeping at a time like this.
[ They're lucky that nothing catastrophic happened but... he's still unsettled. He tries to look calm when he steps over though, motioning to the chair beside Guy. ]
If you would prefer to be left to your thoughts, I am happy to oblige. But otherwise... would you mind some company?
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Let me know if there's anything you want from around the counter. I'm nothing special for bartending, but I know most of the basics. Though... damn, you're a hard tell. [There's a weird pause as he sets his chin on his hand and takes a look at the stranger. A little older than Luke, maybe? There's a maturity in how he holds himself that makes it hard to gauge.
Tapping his chin for a minute.]
19, maybe?
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Close. 17.
[ Age doesn't really matter in this case for Fantasy Medieval Times, but he tries not to overdo it anyway. Guy is also very plainly old to drink, though Dimitri wants to play along too. ]
I don't imagine you're much older yourself... 21, perhaps?
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[He both wishes and DOES NOT WISH AT ALL that he was still twenty-one. But that's neither here nor there.]
You hold yourself really well for someone that hasn't come of age yet. I'm very surprised.
Mind if I ask your name?
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[ Oh, this guy's surprisingly pleasant compared to some of the rowdier folks. It's nice to find good company at this time of night, though he waves off the compliment. ]
My name is Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, prince of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. [ It's a mouthful, but he rattles it off in a perfunctory way. ] And yourself?
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Guy Cecil. I work under the reign of His Majesty Emperor Peony the Ninth, ruler of the Malkuth Empire.
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w1, saturday, post-trial
His boots clack against the wooden boardwalk as he approaches, announcing him. ]
Hello, Guy. I can go, if you'd prefer to be alone.
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He'll turn to the young prince, bowing his head polietly.]
Nah, you're fine. It's good to see you again, Your H-- ah, sorry. Dimitri.
[He'll gesture next to him, folding his arms against his knees, fingers draped together.]
That definitely could have gone better, huh.
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It certainly could have.
[ dimitri has known ogata for a while now, and while he wouldn't call their relationship friendly, it'd certainly. made for an unpleasant trial.
on the other hand... ]
I'm sorry for your loss. I wish more than anything I could have found him last night.
[ guy seemed connected to yu, somehow. ]
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Nothing that can be done about that now, so I wouldn't go blaming yourself. Pretty sure this place is determined to make sure people can't interfere once something's been started, just like all the others.
[It's horribly unfair. But that's how it was in the temple. Why should this be any different?
...]
We wasted time, and we missed something crucial. It's a mistake I don't think we can't afford to repeat.
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There's never enough time.
[ he's not even sure they missed something in their investigations, necessarily. maybe there was a connection they didn't see, a clue they didn't put in the right place. a person they didn't suspect. ]
There will be more mistakes, too. We will have to persevere through them, just as we will have to see the consequences of our crimes in the morning.
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Yeah. We will.
He just deserved better. Wasn't much older than you or anything.
...
He wasn't sure he would be alive if he ever made it home. I don't know if this was his last shot or not.
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w2 - saturday, post-trial
he steps in quietly, silent until he's seated in front of the cell. his words are formal, but not lacking in softness. ]
—Guy. You wished to speak?
ah yes time to pretend we were young and innocent and not dead for this thread
Yeah. I'm glad you decided to come. [He'll slip off the bed, walking over to kneel across from Dimitri, his posture just as formal as Dimitri's words, even if he can't match his own in inflection right this moment.]
Could I ask you why you said what you said, at the end of the trial?
gently ignores brutal execution
The stones made people question your tact, but from our conversations I did not take you as a cruel person.
[ whether or not he agreed with the gesture, the damage is done, and he doesn't have much interest on rehashing it. ]
Anyone who has lived through hardship—someone who saw war early in their life and still comes out of it with compassion in their heart, and the will to fight injustice... that's someone I think I could trust.
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...It's noble of you, Dimitri. But I think you're putting me on a pretty large pedestal.
Just because someone has retained their humanity through the struggles of war doesn't make them any better or worse than anyone else. You could put two people through the exact same scenarios, and their character, including their trustworthiness, would still be entirely unique.
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[ He isn't praising Guy necessarily, but. ]
To lose and to struggle—that changes people. And not always for the better. You see the true mettle of a man after he's seen suffering, and how he chooses to conduct himself after.
[ And he'd say they've all seen suffering. ]
It isn't about a pedestal. I am not saying you could not disappoint me, or that you are perhaps a paragon of a man. [ he doesn't know him well enough to say. ] But... have you never wanted to believe in the best of people, Guy?
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That's not it.
Your reasoning is sound. I don't think anything I said truly clashes with that. It's your open willingness to believe in someone that I would call into question here.
I'm not saying that you shouldn't be giving people the benefit of the doubt, or think that they can pull through things despite how they might have acted in the past. [He thinks of Luke, of how he'd chosen to see that boy to the ends of the earth despite his mistakes.] But there needs to be a balance.
I would say I have been amicable to you, and I would say that what conversations we have had have been pleasant. But where do you draw the line between having belief in a person's ability to change, and being ignorant of what they might truly be doing because of that belief?
[It's less of a statement of implication and more a curiosity, trying to prod Dimitri for his reasonings. They're still not much more than strangers. For the prince to claim trust in a man he barely knows, while touching, is still idealistic enough to be questionable.]
w6, monday
So he pushes the lounge door open the rest of the way with a quiet squeak of hinges and scrape of wood. ]
...Hello?
[ Anyone there who wouldn't mind being found? ]
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There's the noticeable sound of glass against glass from behind the bar, though, like the shuffling of dishware.]
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Hello, Guy.
[ He's not going to be pushy, but he's here to see what he's up to. ]
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A flick of his eyes, up to the prince, and then back to his glass.]
...Your Highness.
[There's a shallow nod, the address dry, a formality of habit, before he tips his glass back into his mouth in one smooth motion, clearing his throat at the sting.]
You definitely aren't wasting any time getting around here, huh.
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No, I always imagined I'd be quite the restless spirit.
[ Haha. ]
Would you prefer I leave you to your thoughts alone? I don't mind, but sometimes I find it helpful to speak them aloud.
[ If he wants a listening ear, Dimitri is happy to stay. ]
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Yeah, well. Good thing we're just out of play. You'll have plenty of time to figure that out in your own lifetime. So don't dwell on it.
[He'll sigh as he raggedly lifts himself to his feet, swiping up the bottle with a resignation that just looks like he's been caught doing something he shouldn't. Back on the shelf it goes, as he moves to clean out the glass.]
They aren't thoughts meant to be spoken. I wouldn't have gone as far as I could from our jail cell otherwise. [And he wouldn't be drinking until his face felt just hot enough to tell that the alcohol had settled.] I appreciate the hand, but I'm not looking to sort out my grievances.
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