Bellelurette: Cain

[perfectpower]

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week 2, Saturday

[perfectpower]

[Trial's over and Siffrin is off in his one-day prison room. Where is Cain? Bradley is going looking for him.]

[uiscebeatha]

[ Cain's in the Promenade of Reflexion. He's staring at Hwylryn's statue, arms crossed, frown on his face.

Even if they have touched already today, he recognizes Bradley's gait pretty well by now. He glances over at him in his approach. ]

[perfectpower]

[Even if they had touched, Brad is going to take a hold of Cain's hand to make sure he can see.]

How're you doin'?

[uiscebeatha]

[ Cain's gaze turns to him, regardless, and he'll squeeze his hand back. ]

...I dunno. I feel like...I could've done things differently. I could've done more.

[ About, well. Everything. ]

You okay?

[perfectpower]

We all could've done more.

[He is not feeling okay, but that's basically life.]

But that's how things go sometimes. You can't save everyone. But if you dwell on it too much it'll drag you down until you die from it.

[He might be thinking of someone specific when he says that.]

So grieve what could have been today 'n tomorrow, and then let it go. On Monday we gotta keep moving forward.

[uiscebeatha]

[ Cain's eyes drop the glossy floor, his brows furrowed.

Keep moving forward—that's the one thing he's good at. He's not going to forget Siffrin (assuming their pattern of remembering the loops holds going forward), but he'll be ready for whatever the next week brings. That he knows.

But everything else? That's where they differ.

He looks back up at Bradley again. ]

What would you have done?

[perfectpower]

Assuming interrogation's off the table?

[Because he has ways of getting information out of people. Ways that are not usually considered ethical.]

[uiscebeatha]

[ Cain stares at him for a moment, evaluating him...

They're total opposites when it comes to this sort of thing, that he knows. But it's because he's stared down the end of Bradley's gun and survived that he has the courage to acknowledge it. ]

...It's not. [ He turns to face him fully. ] I want to know what you would've done.

[perfectpower]

[Brad is likewise evaluating Cain, trying to decide how much of the truth he can handle. Cain is a knight, good and honest, and Brad's techniques might turn his stomach.]

Narrowed it down to a group of possible suspects, then started squeezing them a bit. Figuratively.

[He could squeeze them literally too, but.]

Tying someone to a chair and acting aggressive can get some people to break too. But y'know, most people don't like those kinda things. I probably woulda drawn the votes to me by doing that.

Week 3, post-trial

[perfectpower]

[After the trial is over, Brad is nudging Cain to get his attention before nodding his head to the door.

Let's talk.]

[uiscebeatha]

[ A talk, huh. Yeah, he's got stuff to say.

Cain turns to leave, following Bradley. And when they're past the threshold— ]

What is it?

[perfectpower]

How dangerous do you think Yoru is?

[Just a point-blank question there.]

[uiscebeatha]

I don't know.

[ An honest answer. ]

I think he can be dangerous if he wants to be. He's called himself a monster and a killer, and I believe him.

[ ... ]

He reminds me a little of Owen.

[perfectpower]

...yeah, I thought so too. He seems nice enough, but when I was teasin' you two on Thursday his words got sharp.

[uiscebeatha]

...He talks like that sometimes.

[ Not usually when there's other people around, but. ]

Bradley... Are you worried he's going to hurt me?

[perfectpower]

Maybe not you, but...

[He trails off there, not wanting to finish that thought.]

Just remember that I'm here to help you if shit gets thick. We both gotta get home to save our world.

[uiscebeatha]

I know. My duty to Akira comes before anything else.

[ He must've seen the way he rejected Yoru the night before, but...

That worries him, too. ]

...You don't think he's going to try and kill someone to come with us, do you?

Week 4, post-invest

[perfectpower]

[He had been lingering by Cain while Cain checked the body, and it's only after Cain finishes that Brad speaks up.]

C'mon, let's get you cleaned up.

[uiscebeatha]

[ Cain looks down at himself... That's a lot of blood. ]

Could I borrow clothes from your suite?

[perfectpower]

Yeah, c'mon. I don't wanna be dressed like a pig for a moment longer.

[Off to Narcissus!]

[uiscebeatha]

[ THANK GOD he really doesn't want to go back to Water Lily right now!

Following Bradley, but is quiet. ]

[perfectpower]

[He's also quiet, up until they get to Narcissus.]

I'm wearin' my usual, but you can pick anything else.

[uiscebeatha]

All right.

[ Cain isn't shy around Bradley, so he'll just start peeling off his mystery costume and start throwing on whatever he can find in the wardrobe—mostly the same noble frilly stuff he's been wearing most of the time he's been here.

He'll fish some of the evidence out of his old pockets, grab something from another pocket and start fiddling with his ear. ]

...Bradley...

[perfectpower]

[Bradley also isn't shy at all. They're just changing, no reason to be shy about it. He's putting his original outfit on, and is just sliding his green coat on as he glances in Cain's direction.]

Yeah? What's up?

[uiscebeatha]

[ He's done changing, repocketing the evidence, now with a silver twist earring on his right ear.

Still, he's pensive. ]

Ish said we'd be done on Sunday, right? That's...so far away. How many people are we going to lose before then?