week 01 - friday evening (lief)

[eisenundblut]

[Well that sure was an event. Can't say trial, because that hasn't happened yet, but it sure was trying. Prussia doesn't come back to their shared hut until Later because she has a whole flock of cute little birds to check in on, but she hasn't forgotten about the cute little bird who's actually her responsibility.

Uh. Lief, that is, not the abominable birdy over there.]

How you holding up, kid?

Comments

[reidentify]

[Likewise, aside from a quick trip to change his clothes (seeing as how the ones he wore this morning had to be washed, what with all the blood), it takes a while before Lief returns. Too many people to check up on.

Lief looks at her, his expression tired, but otherwise blank—though the way his hand is curled up into a fist gives him away. On his shoulder, Filli curls up against his collar.]

It would be a lie to say that I am doing well, but I am not about to fall apart, by any means.

And you, Prussia?

[eisenundblut]

My people are okay. About the only good news I got.

[A muscle in her jaw twitches as she settles back on her own bed, drawing a knee in to her chest and looking him over carefully. She sees that fist, but doesn't comment on it.]

I've seen a lot of people die. Seen a lot of bad shit done to bodies, too. Doesn't get any easier.

[She glances at him again.]

Did you know her?

[reidentify]

[No, it doesn't. Growing up under oppression, Lief has likewise seen his fair share of horrors and deaths, but...

To get desensitized to it all—wouldn't that mean becoming okay with it? He can't accept that.]

We spoke briefly. She was one of the people who volunteered to help with food. [...] She seemed to be a kind person.

[eisenundblut]

I didn't talk to her myself, but I saw her talkin' to a bunch of people. She seemed nice.

[Her lips curl into a scowl.]

And someone killed her. We figure out why, we might get a little closer to figuring out "who."

[reidentify]

... Perhaps they thought she would be an easy target. She does not appear threatening, at the very least.

[And appearances can be deceiving—Lief should know, when his girlfriend isn't exactly of impressive stature and yet won a fighting tournament—so who knows whether or not Haru was, but people wouldn't necessarily know that.

In any case, his voice is low, cold. If that truly is the reason why, it's a dirty one.]

[eisenundblut]

Tch.

[Her face screws up, and for a moment, she looks like she wants to spit on the ground. But that would be pretty gross to do inside, so she refrains, just scowling and beating a hand rhythmically against her upraised knee.]

I dunno anything about solving mysteries. Where I'm from, you fought your battles with the rest of your country. Yeah, everybody's got spies and assassins in their history, but not this kinda shit.

[She scowls again.]

What's the point of messing with her body? Only reason you did that after a battle was to scare off the enemy. Kids are already scared, no point doin' that here.

[reidentify]

Neither do I, truth be told.

[Because... yeah. Murders were fairly obvious back home, or even if they weren't, there was no real need to decipher the truth behind them.]

... Most likely, that was still not enough for them.

[eisenundblut]

You think?

[She hums, brows furrowing. She's not a detective. She's not even close to one. But-]

Don't forget the way Fucko Number One yanked her head out of the sand.

[She grimaces, but it's thoughtful.]

Either of those two could've been the ones behind the carnage, oder?

[reidentify]

[He nods.]

I discussed the possibilities with someone earlier. It could be their work, their suggestion, a rule of a role, or a voluntary deed on the murderer's part. It is too early to say, perhaps.

[Maybe the Chiefs will illuminate this tomorrow. Who knows?

But... he's reminded.]

... Prussia. May I ask you something?

[eisenundblut]

Their work, their suggestion, rule of...

[She repeats it to herself as if trying to commit it to memory, then nods. Maybe it is too early to say, but it's a start. If they can narrow it down, then that might help.]

Hm?

[She blinks at him.]

'Course. You think of something?

[reidentify]

[His question is simple.]

Do you have a role?

[eisenundblut]

[She fills her cheeks with hair and blows them out, making a farting noise for a moment before realizing that hey, maybe that's disrespectful to do when someone was chopped up and murdered.]

No. Not like I'd want any of their shitty advantages anyway, 'less it could help people. They probably knew better than to give me something like that.

What about you?

[reidentify]

[Please don't make farting noises, Prussia??]

No. Apparently, that comes as a surprise to some, but I do not.

[eisenundblut]

Why's that surprising? You don't look like a murderer.

[????]

Want me to punch anyone who thinks you do?

[She'll do it!!]

[reidentify]

[Prussia????]

You do not have to do that! I think they meant it as a compliment—that I would perhaps have a role to help others. But as I said, I have no such thing.

[eisenundblut]

[She's a helper???]

Ooh... like a good guys role.

[She drums her fingers on her knee, more thoughtfully this time.]

How many good-guy roles do you think there could be? I wasn't listening to most of what he was sayin', I figured it could read it more later, but that rulebook was pretty thin!

[reidentify]

I do not know what roles there could be, beyond one to kill. If I recall correctly, he did not elaborate either.

[...]

Perhaps there would be such a role to make things "fair", if this is truly to be an entertaining game. [Though it depends on their idea of entertaining, which is so far very dubious.] Though I fear the possibility that they would purposely place unsuited people it. People who would not, in fact, use it to help others.

[He's mostly just thinking out loud right now.]

[eisenundblut]

...Jacopo's rude.

[It sounds like she's stating that out of the blue, but give her some credit!]

He can be pretty nasty to people. I bet he'd have a helping role. I think he'd surprise the Asshole Twins, 'cause I bet he's nicer than he lets on.

[She holds up one finger with a grin.]

He's Italian, after all!

[That... that's her reasoning for why he's secretly nice?? Not anything on his profile has dissuaded her??]

[reidentify]

[He's not sure what Italian means but he's going to assume it has to do with country of origin.]

Indeed, I believe that Jacopo hides his true feelings behind an abrasive front... though I am not sure if him being "Italian" has anything to do with it.

[?????]

[eisenundblut]

He's from Italy! Or he's got a really Italian name, at least. Most Italians are really, really cute! Like little birds!!

[It cheers her up to think about, so that's... something?]

Even South Italy, she's really rough on the outside, but she's soft and sweet on the inside. Likes to listen to me tell stories about my days as a knight.

[reidentify]

[It's... hard, keeping up with Prussia's train of thought.]

You were a knight?

[eisenundblut]

The Teutonic Knights! That's how I got started. I was founded back in uhh...

[Hang on. Let her think.]

1190 as a hospitalier order. But the Pope -- he was my religious leader, wore the biggest hat, called all the shots -- he pretty much let me do whatever I wanted. So I went north! Conquered the land that had been held by the Old Prussians, took their land for my own! That's how I started to be known as Prussia.

You know, they used to say that "most countries have an army. Prussia is an army that has a country."

[reidentify]

[He still can't fully wrap his head around Prussia being a country, and the nature of what she's talking isn't easy to visualize either. For hundreds of years, Deltora has been concerned with keeping invaders out; conquering other lands has never been a thought on Lief's mind.]

You must be very powerful, then, in terms of your army's might.