[video]

[notvitiligo]

[Jessica sits in the orchard, a sugar skull in hand. She glares at the mirror.]

OK, this? Isn't funny. For a lot of reasons.

This is a new low for whoever is in charge. Consider this an official complaint.

Comments

[video] breaks hiatus for this

[cobbledtogether]

...? Jessica...?

[She has seen the changes done to the Orchard, but she hadn't thought much of them or examined them closely then. Is this one of those "it's distasteful because skulls and skeletons are symbols of death" things again? That seems like the most logical conclusion to draw.]

[notvitiligo]

[She holds up the skull, showing the name Gal Cecil.]

She just disappeared a little while ago. It's like they're trying to twist the knife here.

[cobbledtogether]

...Gal is gone?

[Considering how muted her expressions generally are, it might be hard to tell, but Lambda's face falls a little. She probably doesn't even realize it herself, despite the unfamiliar sharp feeling in her gut that appears for a moment.]

[notvitiligo]

[She sighs.] Yeah.

Sorry.

[cobbledtogether]

[Oh. Her gaze falls a little.]

...No. An apology is not required. [...] The skulls are...in poor taste because of the presence of the names?

[notvitiligo]

[She lets the skull rest in her lap, looking down at the name.]

Yeah. Reminding us of people that aren't here, and...

It's like it's saying they're dead. Which, y'know, they may as well be, but still...

[Sigh.]

I guess it's not the most logical thing ever.

[cobbledtogether]

No. Akiha-sama has already explained to me that skeletons are considered distasteful due to their association with death.

[So whether or not it's logical is irrelevant to her. She's pretty willing to go along with the social mores she has been taught.]

[notvitiligo]

I wouldn't have a problem if it weren't for the name thing.

It's like... it's like saying we'll never see someone again.

I don't... really want to be reminded, you know?

[She swallows the hoarseness out of her voice. Her throat stings.]

[cobbledtogether]

Gal has vanished and returned before.

[It might be meant as comforting, but she says it pretty bluntly, so it's hard to be sure. It's just a fact, though she can't say how likely a repeat performance is.]

[notvitiligo]

[Jessica has no room to complain about bluntness.]

Yeah... But you never know.

It's the thing I hate the most about this place, you know? No way to know anything.

[cobbledtogether]

Yes. The high degree of unpredictability causes difficulty in making accurate predictions.

[notvitiligo]

That's one way of putting it. And the fact that you can't really get anything out of the people in charge. And nothing's testable.

Almost nothing, anyway.