How Do I Explain THIS One? (Invite Only)

[nintendonut1]

Elwood turned back to the protesting half-angel, giving him an odd look. "Wait, what? I didn't say ANYthing about lying! What on earth are talking abo--"

"Everyone, please!" Even in his self-loathing state, Double D could easily tell this was getting nowhere fast. Things were getting thrown everywhere in this argument and it was difficult to focus on it all.

He kept one hand reassuringly atop Kyle's head, and his other snaked behind him and took Felix's hand. He had to be their support right now; even if he needed the most support of anyone in this room, he stayed strong. He had to.

"Seven... what do you mean by 'lies?'" he asked first, honestly curious of what the boy meant and wanting him to elaborate.

[mugenginga]

Seven glowered at Trevor more than anyone else, but he was glaring at a lot of the group. There did seem to be a difference in how he regarded Elwood, but despite his obvious nervous feelings about Kyle at the moment he took another step towards Edd.

"I mean that they're fooling you! Half the people here use and support the use of mechas, and all they've done has just proven what my teachers said!" Seven said. He wasn't looking at Edd as he spoke though, "I believe in you, and I don't think everyone here is evil, but I know they're tricking you! They're making you suffer, and using your emotions against you! My teachers said GUN would do this, but I never realized it would get this bad!"

He looked towards Edd now, concern clear in his eyes but masked by a solid dose of anger and just a bit of fear, "You should leave! They say they care but they're just fooling you more! I don't want anyone like you to be a victim!!"

[Felix Falora]

Trevor cared about Edd more then anyone knew, mainly because he kept how he felt hidden. He had hid it when Felix took Edd. He had hit it when Seven came into Edd's life. He had done his best to keep it hidden so that his issues wouldn't hurt the angel. Unfortunately, his feelings were being hard-pressed by Seven, who was claiming that Trevor didn't care about Edd at all, but was only using and manipulating him. Every single ounce of his body cried for violence, but for Edd's sake, he willed himself not to lunge for Seven's throat. Instead, he only spoke, what he felt was justifiable logic.

"So we don't care about him? Is that what you're trying to say? Because certainly, if we didn't give a shit about Double D, we'd just let him walk out the door instead of wasting our times trying to convince him to stay! But we do care about Double D! And do you really think someone like him could be manipulated? He's too intelligent to be used like some common toy; I'm sure, with enough observation, he would see the sigs! And, last but not least, who gives a fucking shit about GUN, mecha, or your goddamn teachers?! They have nothing to do with this, with us not wanting our friend to leave us! So don't you DARE say that we're manipulating or using Double D... because you quite frankly don't know shit about us."

Neither Lucy nor King replied. And Lucy could feel the emotions behind Trevor's little monologue. In mind, she agreed with him. She knew that none of them were manipulating Double D. The issue wasn't that they were deceiving Double D, but rather they were too true to themselves, too true to the vulgar, violent parts of themselves that were used to the laws of their old world. Back then, they had to fight to survive against the Tribunal. If it meant killing, so be it. In this world, however, they wanted to try and avoid death. After Felix left, Edd had sworn to become practically the ultimate entity of good. That meant to show mercy, kindness, and compassion even to the sickest of individuals. She could see how that was hard; who would want to show kindness to someone who murdered for fun? But Edd had managed to come this far. Lucy could see him being this way until the end of time.

[Firebreath Fishslap]

"I-I'm not... I'd never..."

Kyle continued to whimper. Even with Double D's hand on his head, he didn't feel reassured in the least. How truthful was he being? What had he been doing? Had he been doing it without even realizing it? Just how much had he done... what had he done...

"Nngh...!" Kyle covered his face with his hands and ducked out from under Double D's hand. His stance indicated he was about to run, and he likely would unless someone stopped him.

[nintendonut1]

Double D was quiet, honestly a bit stunned by Seven's accusations. He expected the tendancy towards violence, but never the thought of the others manipulating him. If he was a tad bit unhinged in his current frazzled state, he would have seriously considered that possibility.

Of course, Trevor would dash all that in a heartbeat with his empassioned words. If Double D hadn't known any better, he could've sworn...

He shook his head. There would be time for considering that later. For now... "Seven," he finally spoke out. "You have to understand something. Just because someone has different viewpoints than you, doesn't automatically mean they have ill intentions. I've known these people--my family, they've grown to be--for a long, long time, and...!"

He grunted in confusion as Kyle tore away for him and made for the front door. "K-Kyle, wait!"

(It would be absolutely goddamn adorable if Past Felix stopped him from running away. :3)

[mugenginga]

Seven glared at Trevor as he yelled. Trevor actually was one of the people he wasn't strongly suspicious of... maybe he didn't see what was going on either? He was frowning when Edd spoke up, and he turned his head in surprise as Edd began to talk to him. He took a startled step back as Kyle slipped past, giving him a worried glance before turning back to Edd.

"But they're making you suffer! How is that family?!" he sounded like a lost and frightened little boy. As for Kyle, it wasn't that he didn't care so much that he was almost entirely focused on Edd.

[Felix Falora]

Felix noticed Kyle ready to run. Another boy hurt by what he had done, ready to run away from the people that could help him... all of this caused by him coming back. No one should have to hurt because of me, Felix thought weakly. But, in a not so weak manner, he caught Kyle as he tried to get out, holding him back. "You don't have to do this," he said. "Please..."

"Trevor..." Lucy spoke. Her tone stated that she didn't want to say what she was about to say, yet she was going to anyway. It also spoke that the child Lucy wanted to be was not there. This was dream Lucy, the one who absorbed knowledge through her travels into the dream world. "I hate to hurt your feelings, but Seven is telling the absolute, unprecedented truth. Everyone here is overtly violent and unstable. Kyle and King have just proven that well. Everyone here is unable to accept Edd's decisions and have tried to fight against them. Seven and this... time-traveler version of Felix would not be able to grow here, which is what Double D wants them to do. And though it is Edd's wish that they do so regardless, everyone here continues to act as if Edd had never lost his boyfriend. Fletcher and King, Perceval and Masahiro, the fact that Eddy has Nazz... somewhere along the line, Edd may still be questioning what he did wrong, to see so many who love around him despite their flaws, yet he lost his. I wish I did not have to be the one to say it, but you won't listen to Seven since you remain distrustful of him, but each and every one of you ARE making Edd suffer, whether consciously, such as King, or unconsciously... such as you, Trevor." Trevor glared as she finished. "And the healthiest thing for Edd to do now would be to leave. For his sake as well as for Seven's and Felix's sake."

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Kyle had broken for it in the end. He'd managed to make it close enough to the door that his fingertips were touching the doorknob before Felix caught him. He flinched and forcefully pulled his arm from the angel's grasp.

"I-I... I can't stay here anymore... it's my fault, I should be the one to leave, I..." He squeezed his eyes shut.

Standing on the other side of the door, unknown to the others, was Crow. She'd just returned home, but she wasn't entering yet. She could tell the situation was serious. Something had happened while she was gone.

[nintendonut1]

"B-because without them, I'd be suffering worse!"

Double D flinched. That response to Seven's question had come out angrier than he had intended it to.

Really, this entire conversation was getting much of nowhere. Each side had plausible arguments to either stay or go. Either choice offered some level of comfort and some level of suffering. And nothing was making his choice any easier.

The negativity in the room had his throat all choked up, and he shot Elwood a helpless look. His once fellow Super Child nodded.

"Right, then." He spoke rather loudly, gaining attention. "As much as I'd LOVE to continue moving in pointless circles around the issue here, it's clear to me that we need to take a vote on this. Are Double D, Felix, Seven, and Kyle to stay here? Or go?"

[mugenginga]

Seven winced as well. Was Edd really so blinded? He said he didn't like violence, that killing was wrong and he didn't approve of it, but he stayed around people like this? People like King, who had shot someone the second they came through the door. People like Masahiro, who Seven thought would have half the people here killed given the chance. Wouldn't one of them try to kill Edd if it was convenient? And what would happen if Kyle lost it again? Edd had thrown himself into that situation, and the six winged teenager doubted he'd get out of it that easily every time.

He seemed to scowl for a moment before he looked to the side, reacting as a child who was scolded for something they really wanted to do. For about the billionth time since he'd come here, he wondered what he was doing here. He needed to leave and figure out how to contact his teachers. The people that cared, the people that wouldn't fall for such obvious manipulative tactics. Why would they fight to keep Edd here if they didn't care about him? Because he was strong. He'd controlled that demon. He could be used. Seven didn't want to be used. He didn't want to be trapped...

I don't want to be here...

He didn't seem to be contributing any more to the conversation, but anyone that caught a glimpse of his eyes would see he was deep in thought... almost as if he were on the verge of something.

[Felix Falora]

Trevor shook his head. "Why vote? Double D should stay, he..."

"I personally feel they should go," Lucy said. "As admirable as he's becoming, Edd's tendency towards taking in people that have a controversial background and upset the natural stability in a lot of... 'his' creations, if you know who I am referring to. This Felix from the past is innocent of all his present self's crimes, but yet is still being judged for his present self's crimes. Seven has been raised to be a certain way and though society here may frown upon his behavior, wouldn't it still be normal in his world? Yet he is being judged here by this world's standards... when he doesn't even know this world's standards, but the standards of the world he was raised in, in which all people who make mecha, i.e. Masahiro and anyone related to him, should be put to the sword and slaughtered like cattle. Both of them have the right to live, yet in this household, Seven has already been wracked with terror and grief over the presences of many of this house's inhabitants... and this Past Felix will surely be wracked with that same grief if forced to stay. You know Edd will not give them up, so you're hurting him with a choice you are forcing him to make, whether you meant to or not. " She looked at Trevor when she got into that point. Trevor felt that she was showing him hostility. "You are forcing him to either choose your idealisms and stay with you or keep to his idealisms and lose your friendship. You can claim you're not, but be honest. How many of you have even tried to understand where Seven's come from?" No one answered, as far as Lucy knew, so she continued. "Kyle outright told Seven that, if he crossed the line, he would be killed. Masahiro, I know, is waiting for Seven to screw up so he can do the honors himself. King just tried to kill Felix, causing Kyle to go on a murderous rampage. You are all violent and thus you are all going to strangle Double D with your hypocracy if you make him stay here. He has the right to do as he wishes and he wants to help Seven learn the ways of this world and give this past Felix a home to live in. Henceforth it would be much better for Double D to leave... because if he's going to suffer, he should still have the right to follow his own heart doing so. And if Kyle wants to go too, that's his choice."

Trevor was shocked into silence. He wracked his brain to come up with something, anything, but could not. Masahiro spoke. "I vote that Double D should go. Though he will be highly missed, the logic is unfortunately sound. We cannot force him to get rid of Seven or Past Felix, yet if they stay here, our tensions will only grow higher. We'd be monsters either way."

"I, too, think they should go," King said, much to the growing despair on Trevor's face. "No offense to Double D or Kyle, but I do not want to live in this house with an excused murderer and... that thing, past or present." His hatred for Felix was well told there at least.

Past Felix remained silent. He did not want to vote. Either path would cause Double D pain. Exile, the exile that those three were wishing on him, meant leaving everyone he's ever cared about. But on the other hand...

"Logic? Logic?! Fuck your logic!" By this point, Trevor was desperate. He didn't just sound it. "By saying he should go, all you're doing is proving Seven correct! You're acting like you really don't give a damn about Double D! What the fuck is wrong with you all?!"

"Or is it you that doesn't care about Double D?" Lucy asked. "Sometimes, when you really care for someone, you have to let them go Trevor."

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Kyle did not say anything. He didn't know what he wanted Edd to do. No, he knew. It was what Kyle wanted to say that had led him to attack King before, after all. It was his own selfish wishes, and he didn't want to say anything. So he remained quiet, even as the vote continued to swing toward Edd leaving.

"May I speak?"

Crow walked through the door and into the room, where she stood next to Kyle. She'd finally heard enough. She looked from Kyle and Felix to Seven, and then toward Lucy and Edd, and then from Masahiro and King to Trevor. And then, after doing all of that, she finally spoke. She spoke with calm, even tones.

"I normally don't involve myself in things like this, and I'm normally not serious enough that my words would matter. I'm hoping they will now. I don't know what happened today, but I think I have a few ideas. Honestly, it's not hard to guess just by looking at this room. You're taking a vote on whether Double D should leave or stay, Elwood. I'm going to be honest. I think he should leave.

"To those who argue that we're a family, I look at this room, and I don't see a family. I see a group of enemies held together by one man. If it weren't for Double D, everyone would be killing each other. Even with Double D, everyone's killing each other. And Lucy, you're wrong. It's not Masahiro and King's faults alone. It's everyone's faults, Seven and Double D included. I'll freely admit that I had my own impact on this situation."

She looked toward everyone in the room. "We're all strangling each other in our own ways. Double D pushed Kyle to try to kill King, and he, in trying to keep conflicts from breaking out, only caused things to get worse. Seven continued to believe that we're doing nothing but brainwashing Double D. Our own actions likely did not help in the least. Masahiro and King only acted hostile toward Seven no matter what, even after learning why he acts the way he does. I bet the moment he--" She motioned toward Felix. "--arrived, they acted hostile toward him. I bet you all did. I probably would have too. I don't even know what he's doing here, but I know he's not the same Felix as the one I knew. Lucy called him Past Felix, and I'm inclined to believe that. But if he really is the Felix from the past, then he still loves Double D, and he still has a chance to change for the better.

"I honestly think you're all idiots who are too eager to jump to cutting off each others' heads while hiding behind the excuse of justice or love, or better yet, Double D. You've all become dedicated to that one man. We've gone past friendship to obsession!" Crow's voice began to raise. "If what I've heard is true, you people have always been perfectly willing to throw your lives away for Double D! Part of this is Double D's fault for not stopping it when it began, and the other part is your own faults for doing such a thing. So yes, I think Double D needs to leave. And I think everyone needs to calm the hell down and think about what they're saying and doing for once before they start blaming everyone else. Because that's all we do here. Blame."

She turned toward Kyle. "And Kyle?"

"...Yes?" Kyle whimpered.

Crow smacked Kyle. Kyle drew back, and put a hand on his cheek. He looked shocked.

"I'm ashamed of you for even going the same route as everyone else in this damn house. You were the last person I thought would even consider killing anyone," Crow stated. She began walking through the room toward her own room. "I'm done. Decide what you want."

[nintendonut1]

He didn’t know how he would think that they “stay” vote would win out, but Elwood tended to be optimistic like that. So the firm, Fletcher-like tone he had taken on dwindled quickly as votes were cast.

“You… really? Really?” Well, he asked for a vote. He would’ve brought up the others that weren’t home, but who could guarantee they would swing the vote? Most of the Skylark team would probably agree (because hey, it’s in everyone’s best interests and therefore the more mature decision), and as loyal as Ed, Eddy, and Raz were, they wouldn’t be enough.

With a defeated grimace, Elwood shot a gaze towards the Angel of Light, who slowly shut his eyes, masking great, great pain.

“I… understand.” Any of the vitality he had gained after Felix’s departure seemed to have vanished in an instant. “Seven… Felix… Kyle… I know of a place where we can stay for now… if you want to stay with me either wa—“

“Whoa, hey, wait a sec!” Everyone nearly jumped at the loud voice that broke through the tense quiet, as it seemed Crow wasn’t the only one who had arrived. Behind her came the rest of the Skylark team, Ed, Raz (carrying Marion), and Eddy leading the way. Well, he was now, after catching wind of the discussion and zipping in.

He jabbed a finger into Double D’s chest. He was not met with any amusement. “Where do you think YOU’RE going!?”

[mugenginga]

Seven had looked surprised as Edd actually agreed to the decision. His eyes widened and he turned his head back towards the Angel of Light. He hadn't expected that. He'd expected him to insist he stay. Wasn't the grip that tight? A lot of stuff had been said in the conversation, Trevor seemed to be losing it for some reason.

"Of course I'll go with you!" Seven insisted, his vehemance implying he'd missed half of Crow's speech. In fact it just meant that he thought the speech applied to everyone but him, "You're the onl-"

The shout for the group to wait a second cut Seven off. His expression darkened and he spun towards the voice. It only softened cause of Marion's expression. He'd been there a week, but he knew Marion was Edd's daughter. He... hadn't thought of that. And they couldn't leave a kid here, not with these people. He looked towards them with a panicked expression. He didn't want Edd to stay here, but... she couldn't be left here, could she? He looked very trapped, his gaze still on the people in the house. This was too complicated!

[Felix Falora]

Marion... I can't believe I forgot about Marion, Trevor thought. The one argument he could've used and he had squandered it. Proved his head was in the wrong just like the rest of them. For in the case of Marion, it was a lose-lose situation for Edd. On one hand, he couldn't take her because karma seemed to have a blood vendetta against the Angel of Light for whatever reason. Evil kept finding and endangering him and if Marion were to be involved in such a scenerio, the consequences could be devestatingly fatal. But on the other hand, if he stayed... they had already seen and admitted to each other what was wrong. Crow called it out in one big speech. Nobody really seemed to like anybody at this point. They were too varied, too different... enough was enough.

Nazz had returned from her vacation in Peach Creek, left wishing she had stayed there. Having returned to find Double D's friends basically exiling him, she was not happy at all. She knew King a bit from their first encounters, but having heard the way he spoke in giving his vote, for they had heard everything, which is what stopped them from coming in the light-hearted manner they started off with, she felt that he ought to be the one to be exiled. Masahiro sounded regretful, knowing it was the most logical choice despite its grief. Lucy was a child, despite her knowledge, and would have to be disciplined. Trevor... Nazz knew Trevor. Like Masahiro, she was one of the few to know Trevor's true feelings for Edd. She just didn't speak to anyone about them for the same reason Masahiro didn't. Respect of privacy.

"You shouldn't have to leave, Double D," Nazz said. "This is your home and nobody should be able to throw you out of it. And if you do leave, who's going to take care of Marion? What will she do without her daddy? She's already lost her mommy after all." Ed, Eddy, and Raz had filled her in before they returned. The drama had been done with before hand, she could've only hoped. After saying what she felt needed to be said to Double D, she adressed Trevor. "You need to chill out. Just relax, ok? Everything will be fine." She was trying to soothe the panicking, tense Englishman considering his desperation had been twisting itsself in circles when the "GET OUT" vote had been passed. It seemed to be working and, as Trevor managed to gather hold of himself, Nazz adressed the rest of the group.

"I am absolutely dissapointed in all of you. What kind of friends attack each other and then make the innocent one take the brunt of it anyway? That is disgusting and cowardly and you ought to be ashamed of yourselves for it. Double D shouldn't have to leave because you people can't get along. You should all learn to get along instead. And if you can't, then maybe you should leave instead because, honestly, I can't think of why you should stay if you claim to like Double D and yet pretty much... screw him and his beliefs over, to be blunt."

She didn't just look at King or Lucy; she didn't play favorites or most hated. She made it clear that she was dissapointed at everyone who voted for Double D to leave. The only exceptions were Seven and Kyle, because Seven didn't know any better and Kyle... Kyle was just scared of himself as it was. It was the ones who knew better and were able to control themselves that Nazz was speaking to. And Masahiro and Lucy felt the sting of her words and the mature, or so we think, way she presented them. King, being the jackass he is, pretty much showed no change in emotion, indicating he couldn't care less.