.:Private Conversations Between Huaisang and Raven:.

[biyishuangfei]

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Week 1, Post- Trial

[biyishuangfei]

[ Well, trial was over.

All they had to do was relax, right? Wrong. Being in his alone and miserable was something Huaisang couldn't stand. ]

Raven! Raven!

[ At some point post-trial, Huaisang will be running to his room, and giving a knock on his door. ]

[reallyfishy]

[Raven was lying on his bed and making his best attempt at taking a nap after all of that, but Huaisang's yelling nearly makes him fall out of bed.

He stumbles over to the door and opens it.]

What? What? What's goin' on?!

[Was there another murder??]

[biyishuangfei]

I-It's...it's terrible! I need to come in right away and have a bit of your time!

[ So sorry for your lack of rest with Huaisang's nonsense today... ]

I don't know what to do...

[reallyfishy]

H-Huh?

[That catches him even more off guard. Did Huaisang do a murder???

Okay no, he shouldn't assume that. Why the hell would Huaisang come to him for that?]

All right, all right, c'mon... [He ushers Huaisang inside. His room isn't too messy...yet. If anything, it's surprisingly neat for what one might assume of Raven.] Start talkin'. What's wrong?

[biyishuangfei]

[ His face cleared up mostly, before he looked exhausted, and it really showed after he was allowed in. ]

...

...Well, I just really didn't want to stay by my lonesome in my room, but I wasn't hungry, so...I freaked out, not knowing who to come to.

[ He would go to the afterparty much later, most likely. But he wanted to be one-on-one for a bit and so his face turned into a pleading one. ]

I also just wanted to speak to a familiar face, or rather someone I've spoken to before. Don't be mad at me for all of that, okay?

[reallyfishy]

Oh for the love of...

[Raven heaves out a sigh and plops back down on his bed.]

I'm not mad at ya, but ya had me worried for a second! I thought someone got hurt, or you did somethin' stupid again.

["Again"]

Well, make yerself comfortable I guess... But I'll warn ya now, I'm not good at the whole consolin' thing.

1/2

[biyishuangfei]

H-hey! Do I look like the type to do something stupid again?!

[ Huff puff ]

[biyishuangfei]

[ ...he deflates. ]

...Actually, please don't answer that.

[ He really shot himself in the foot there. He didn't need to embarrass himself further!! ]

That's fine, though. Because...imagining you as someone who can console easily? You don't really have that kind of aura? Or appearance? It'd be kind of funny, now that I think about it...

[reallyfishy]

[He'll spare Huaisang's dignity because he asked nicely.]

Jeez, way ta rub it in... Why'd ya pick me, then? Didja just wanna talk about...whatever?

Week 4, Post-Trial

[biyishuangfei]

[ This week was a rough one, for certain. But it didn't keep him in his room. Far from it.

Well, not much time had passed between the end of trial up until now, before the brunet might here a soft: ]

Raven?

[ Huaisang will be knocking lightly at Raven's door...at least this time he wasn't sounding panicked. Just tired, and questioning. ]

Are you in...?

[reallyfishy]

[As with previous times, Raven’s in! It doesn’t take long for him to answer the door. He seems just about as tired.]

Hey, Huaisang. Here fer the usual chat?

[biyishuangfei]

Yes, I am...

[ He will wipe at his face, though he will be peering closely at Raven in between doing so.

Huaisang remembered how bad off the other man had seemed at trial. It stuck with him for now. Did he still look a little off-kilter besides the tiredness? ]

I think it'd be good for us to talk together after everything. That trial was just the same amount of awful.

[ Though he thought the last one was worse, this one did bring up personal memories, what with Norton's body parts being scattered. And he had liked Norton a decent amount, as a friend. ]

[reallyfishy]

[Raven's doing his best at hiding it, but since Huaisang's specifically looking for it...yeah, he's still a bit off.]

Same amount, new flavor, yeah. [But with a nod,] Come on in.

[Once Huaisang is in and the door is closed behind them...]

Honestly, I shoulda come ta visit ya last week, but I wasn't sure how much company ya wanted.

[Given what happened to his friend from home.]

[biyishuangfei]

...I wouldn't have minded if you dropped on by, but it's okay. I think I was kind of a big mess and I wouldn't have made for good company at all.

[ Huaisang was definitely doing a lot of sobbing and crying when he was in his room last week, so...but anyway, he looked like he was thinking of something. Then he just sat down with a plop on a chair. ]

Though...Raven, there was something I wanted to ask you. You didn't seem all that well even at the beginning of trial. So, even if I didn't say that right away, part of the reason I wanted to come by was because of that.

You said you weren't good at comfort, and I don't know if I am, but I am really good at listening. O-Or we could talk about other things! We usually do that anyway, I just wanted to let you know the option's there.

[reallyfishy]

Still...the least I coulda done was check up on ya. It was good ta see ya enjoying the art supplies later on, though.

[So at least Huaisang has been able to keep going after All Of That.

When Huaisang confronts him on his own discomfort though, he grimmaces a little. Internally, he chides himself not to be a hypocrite about this, and so he takes a seat on the bed nearby.]

I appreciate yer concern, Huaisang, and I don't mind explainin'. [He takes a deep breath.] The sight of Norton's body was a bit triggerin', is all. I... Back home, I was part of a war against some incredibly powerful monsters. Saw a lotta comrades die pretty gruesome deaths to 'em.

[...yeah.]

[biyishuangfei]

[ He was thankful that Raven had the space to be so thoughtful, though he didn't know how to show it himself now. The trial's conclusion did not bring any happiness nor relief to him.

He will have lost two more friends by the end of Sunday.

But at least he could listen and hear Raven's explanation, being an ear to the other man, and also temporarily getting his mind off of those things. ]

...oh.

I'm sorry that happened, since it sounds awful, but now I understand why you were so upset. It sounds scary just hearing about that sort of thing, really. I've...we have ghosts and some rather terrible creatures back in my world, but I can't imagine having a war against them.

[reallyfishy]

[Raven nods at that.]

Neither could we. It was unprecedented, and we weren't equipped ta deal with it in the slightest. Terca Lumireis lost a lot of its population by the time the conflict finally ended. It was only ten years ago, so we're still recoverin' from it.

But...yeah. [He rubs at the back of his head.] Obviously I don't have a lotta happy memories of the War, and seein' mutilation like that dredged 'em up somethin' fierce.

Week 5, Post-Trial

[biyishuangfei]

[ He will be approaching Raven after he's been taken to the dungeons.

He's not going to leave him be and say nothing before he passes, after all. ]

Raven? Are you awake?

[ In case he like, fell asleep or something, but he doubts it... ]

[reallyfishy]

[He's sitting in the back of the cell, doing his best to keep his breathing steady despite everything.]

Yeah. [...] I'm surprised that you want to speak with me, after everything.

[His tone remains emotionless like it did at the end of the trial. It's almost like he's a different person entirely at the moment.]</small.

[biyishuangfei]

Because you killed someone? And tried to sort of get away with it?

[ ... ]

...either way, I can't be too mad at you. This week, was...well, even I felt a little tempted. And as awful as it was those two died, I don't think I really was that close to either of them.

[ He'll admit to that much, at least. ]

[reallyfishy]

[That gets a hollow laugh from him, for Huaisang to just go out there and admit that.]

I suppose that's a little comforting.

[biyishuangfei]

I'm not sure if it is.

[ He'll sit down; it's not really pleasant here but he doesn't want to go away right now. ]

Do you mind if I ask what vision convinced you to do it, or...?

[reallyfishy]

[Yeah...it's really not.

He shakes his head when Huaisang asks about the visions. His answer ends up being surprisingly cold for him.]

It wasn't about the visions. I was just doing what had to be done.

[biyishuangfei]

[ Well, he anticipated the coldness in some form, but it is in this answer that feels odd to him. All of the reminders, which must have painful, and Raven just states...'it was what had to be done'?

That's...it doesn't make sense.

It doesn't sound like something Raven would say. Or he supposed, the one he 'knew'. ]

...What do you mean 'what had to be done'? I don't understand.

[reallyfishy]

[That's because in a way, Huaisang isn't talking to Raven right now.]

I was under orders to kill. I carried them out, as I always have.

[This isn't him trying to offer an excuse. It's simply the truth.]