[ As awful as pretty much everything about that trial was, at least they got it right in the end, and at least they aren't losing William on top of everything else. Seeing how close those votes were... it had been overshadowed at the time by the bombshell that was dropped right after the count, but thinking back on it now, it's a little terrifying to realize that if the two of them had voted wrong, the outcome could have changed completely and another innocent person could have been condemned to death.
They give William some time to himself just after the trial, so they can get some food together and collect themselves and he can decompress from all of that everything that just happened. But after a few hours — before they can get too deep into the alcohol reserves themselves — Phil and Marcus come by and knock on the door to room 22. ]
[ it's good timing, really, because marcus and phil catch william just as he's about to leave his room - he wasn't about to go down to the bar smelling like smoke, after all. his hair is still damp from having showered earlier, and for a brief moment, there's a flicker of surprise in those scarlet eyes, a brief glance down at the food that they're carrying--
and then he'll step back, allow them inside, close the door behind them with a brief smile but no other words.
he appreciates the gesture. his room is neat, even if his bed is a little bit of a mess (sorry mcgillis,) but the room should still be good enough for the three of them to squeeze into it comfortably. ]
[Marcus knows well that fear, that panic that sets in when people start turning on you in the final minutes. It's awful and he wouldn't wish it on anyone, much less someone who was also innocent; even though he did what he could by casting his own vote for someone else (the true murderer, ironically), it still doesn't feel like he did enough. He could've spoken up in protest, he could've tried to point out how much effort William had put into trying to put all of the pieces together... but could've, would've, should've is easy to say.
He's not in the right mindset to cook, not really, but omurice is easy enough to throw together... the bottle of whiskey snagged from the bar probably doesn't really go with the omurice, but he had the feeling it would be appreciated right about now, so he's got those on a tray along with the requisite dishware. It may not be much, but it's the least he can do right now.]
Brought you something.
Edited (why am i allowed to do anything at 2 am) 2021-06-20 06:35 (UTC)
[ He looks surprisingly good for someone who just came so close to being voted to his death, Phil thinks, when he himself hadn't even considered leaving his room for the rest of the day after the first trial, when things had been far less dire... but maybe that's just a reflection of his own weakness, like so many things are.
In any case, it's a relief to see. ]
Y-yes, we weren't sure how soon you'd want to see everyone after that, and we wanted to make sure you still had food and everything...
[ With the "everything" being hard liquor, apparently, but that's the kind of week it's been. ]
[ Sometime on Tuesday after coming across yet another note, Phil will make an effort to track William down so he can take a look at it. Given how much longer this one is than all the others so far, it's more than he thinks could easily be taken in at a meeting where lots of simultaneous threads of discussion are going on, so better to have someone else read it and mull it over beforehand. ]
Another note — this one was attached to the back of a mirror in a festival stall in one of the new areas.
[ He offers a piece of paper folded in half. ]
It says quite a bit more than the rest have so far.
[ As much as Phil hates the idea of seeing William in this cell and knowing it's probably going to be the last time they talk — aside from in cryptic notes, maybe — he's at least glad that he wasn't doing this last week, when the vote had come so close. It also feels better knowing this wasn't actually an intentional betrayal of everyone's trust like what had happened with Yor... but maybe that's really only any better for him. It's probably terribly frustrating being in this position because of what someone else chose to do to you, rather than out of any actual ill intentions of your own.
He supposes that was true of all the civilians in Bifrost too.
It's sometime in the late morning when he stops by, raising a hand slightly in a halfhearted wave of greeting before self-consciously crossing his arms. He's really not very good at any conversations that aren't strictly about information and theories. ]
[Marcus doesn't know if he'd call William a friend, not really, but he has always respected him, and the thought of this impending loss hurts enough on a personal level that he supposes that perhaps he has in fact come to straddle that border between "ally" and "perhaps something a bit more than that." But it's a little late to be trying to analyze these sorts of things, he realizes bitterly.
He's brought another offering from the bar - scotch this time, what looked like the nicest bottle they had - and a few glasses, because why not? There aren't any rules against morning drinking in a situation like this, not when... well.
Somehow he's not at all surprised to find Phil already here, and he falls into place beside him the way he always does with a little smile aimed at William.]
Hey. Looks like you're popular today.
slides in here really late bc i've just been dead, omg
Surprisingly popular. Or at least, more popular than the last time I was being condemned for death. To be honest, I wasn't quite expecting it.
[ it's wry, a little self-depreciating, not quite a joke because the smile on william's features that he gives to greet the both of them doesn't quite reach his eyes.
he'll return phil's wave, a brief tilt of his head in amusement at the awkwardness that comes with probably just... standing there with his arms crossed in front of the cell, and it's followed by a brief gesture for the both of them to try and make themselves comfortable. dungeon conditions it may be, but william's still enough of a noble not to forget hospitality, before his attention flickers towards marcus and his offering from the bar. ]
How was last night? I heard the festivities went on for a while.
[ probably not as wild as the week before, if the fact that they can drink again in the morning without being terribly hungover is of any indication. ]
[ Phil's face turns a little red at the first part of that question, though he quickly catches himself and clears his throat. ]
Ah, it was— holding it at the festival on the island was nice, I think. It sort of gave everyone some other things to occupy themselves with besides just drinking. Though... obviously it would have been preferable not to have had anything from which we felt the need to distract ourselves in the first place.
[ He'll step to the side so Marcus can bring the drinks over, and... will at least attempt to appear more comfortable, though it's probably a lost cause. ]
...I don't think it's that much of a surprise that you've had so many visitors, though. Despite how it must have looked last week, I think most of us here like you.
[Marcus pours himself a glass and sets it aside on the floor before pouring one each for William and Phil - William's is definitely more full than is strictly appropriate for this hour of the morning, but there will be no judgment here. He deserves that much at least.]
And I owe you an apology for not saying more last week after they were trying to pin the blame on me the week before. I know what that feels like, so I should've spoken up.
But I guess it's not like that really matters now...
[He reaches through the bars to hand that glass over rather than making William have to reach his own hand out for it. Somehow it just seems a little more... normal that way, if that word can even be applied in this situation.]
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week 3 - friday post-trial
They give William some time to himself just after the trial, so they can get some food together and collect themselves and he can decompress from all of that everything that just happened. But after a few hours — before they can get too deep into the alcohol reserves themselves — Phil and Marcus come by and knock on the door to room 22. ]
no subject
and then he'll step back, allow them inside, close the door behind them with a brief smile but no other words.
he appreciates the gesture. his room is neat, even if his bed is a little bit of a mess (sorry mcgillis,) but the room should still be good enough for the three of them to squeeze into it comfortably. ]
no subject
He's not in the right mindset to cook, not really, but omurice is easy enough to throw together... the bottle of whiskey snagged from the bar probably doesn't really go with the omurice, but he had the feeling it would be appreciated right about now, so he's got those on a tray along with the requisite dishware. It may not be much, but it's the least he can do right now.]
Brought you something.
no subject
In any case, it's a relief to see. ]
Y-yes, we weren't sure how soon you'd want to see everyone after that, and we wanted to make sure you still had food and everything...
[ With the "everything" being hard liquor, apparently, but that's the kind of week it's been. ]
week 4 - tuesday
Another note — this one was attached to the back of a mirror in a festival stall in one of the new areas.
[ He offers a piece of paper folded in half. ]
It says quite a bit more than the rest have so far.
no subject
When did you find this?
[ his brow is furrowed, as he reads the note. it is A Lot. ]
no subject
[ Taking Colette's job here... ]
Given how much information is in this one, I thought it would be best if we had some time to review it before sharing it with the group at large.
no subject
[ after all the experimentation they did on the lodging mirrors...? suddenly there is a mirror doing strange things? ]
I agree. Somehow this writer has managed to get around whatever limits on information they were trying to send earlier.
... By the way, this handwriting? It was on the same note that Gin had. The one where it said "I have what you want".
week 4 - saturday
He supposes that was true of all the civilians in Bifrost too.
It's sometime in the late morning when he stops by, raising a hand slightly in a halfhearted wave of greeting before self-consciously crossing his arms. He's really not very good at any conversations that aren't strictly about information and theories. ]
I'm sorry it ended up going this way.
no subject
He's brought another offering from the bar - scotch this time, what looked like the nicest bottle they had - and a few glasses, because why not? There aren't any rules against morning drinking in a situation like this, not when... well.
Somehow he's not at all surprised to find Phil already here, and he falls into place beside him the way he always does with a little smile aimed at William.]
Hey. Looks like you're popular today.
slides in here really late bc i've just been dead, omg
[ it's wry, a little self-depreciating, not quite a joke because the smile on william's features that he gives to greet the both of them doesn't quite reach his eyes.
he'll return phil's wave, a brief tilt of his head in amusement at the awkwardness that comes with probably just... standing there with his arms crossed in front of the cell, and it's followed by a brief gesture for the both of them to try and make themselves comfortable. dungeon conditions it may be, but william's still enough of a noble not to forget hospitality, before his attention flickers towards marcus and his offering from the bar. ]
How was last night? I heard the festivities went on for a while.
[ probably not as wild as the week before, if the fact that they can drink again in the morning without being terribly hungover is of any indication. ]
i mean, fair
Ah, it was— holding it at the festival on the island was nice, I think. It sort of gave everyone some other things to occupy themselves with besides just drinking. Though... obviously it would have been preferable not to have had anything from which we felt the need to distract ourselves in the first place.
[ He'll step to the side so Marcus can bring the drinks over, and... will at least attempt to appear more comfortable, though it's probably a lost cause. ]
...I don't think it's that much of a surprise that you've had so many visitors, though. Despite how it must have looked last week, I think most of us here like you.
no subject
And I owe you an apology for not saying more last week after they were trying to pin the blame on me the week before. I know what that feels like, so I should've spoken up.
But I guess it's not like that really matters now...
[He reaches through the bars to hand that glass over rather than making William have to reach his own hand out for it. Somehow it just seems a little more... normal that way, if that word can even be applied in this situation.]