Viper You don’t like compliments, do you Melvin?
It’s less that he doesn’t like them and more that he has no idea how to take them. He doesn’t get it very often.
Abel Lazarus Yeah it looks like this is taking something out of Abel in the same way it’s taking something out of Melvin.
[…]
People who dislike him… Have they ever changed their minds on that? He doesn’t think so.
It’s possible. The Viper Effect is strong. But strangely, it’s not unpleasant Melvin might have been looking to Abel for an out from this abject awful torment, but, well. Looks like misery loves company. At least he doesn’t have to suffer her alone.
Viper “Technically, yeah, but… now we’re here, we don’t really have anything else to do… sooooo…” Viper trails over again, standing right next to Melvin. “Hope ya don’t mind if we stick around for a bit. Me at least.” She’s beaming up at him with thye kind of grin that just says she’s planning something.
He better not have to suffer her alone. Abel will surely feel obliged to stay, if only to keep Viper in check. That grin is ominous, but showing Apprehension would mean she wins. (He’s doing a bad job of hiding it.) He shrugs in a poorly-feigned display of nonchalance.
“Stay if you want. Not like I can stop you.”
He probably could, if he really wanted to, but they’re not hurting anything. He’s not about to start a pointless fight about it, and trying to insist he be left alone would only make it worse. See? He’s learning!
Viper “I mean, ya just… reliable ya know?” Oh Melvin, I’m so sorry! “I dunno how I didn’t see it ‘fore. Ya got good morals on ya head.”
That gets a laugh. Him? Any of those things? Yeah, right. She’s back to normal and is obviously just joking around. Classic.
“Good one, Vipes.”
The rest of her apology passes without further comment beyond a nod of acknowledgement - Melvin really doesn’t want to dwell on it. It was an unpleasant time, and things are… well. Better is a stretch. A step up from the trial, maybe. It was starting to feel like they might actually be able to get through this with only two casualties.
[This is the part where an appropriate pause is allowed for the Umineko-style Meta World to cut in with the mods and case planners laughing at the naivety of the narrative I’m spinning. This will be a screenshot of despair at next body drop.]
Viper “It was really nice that ya… still tried ya best ta see the good in Fenna, ’t least. Even when she… y’know.”
Looks like he can’t ignore that particular bit of the trial forever, though. He shifts uncomfortably. Abel had the right idea, bailing on these unpleasanties. however slightly.
“… She told Dexter to back off when he was getting on my case about it. Didn’t seem like the kind of thing a cold-blooded killer would do is all.”
Of course, Fenna knew he hadn’t killed Atsuko. She was the one person who could have said as much with any certainty at the time. That was obvious in hindsight, but at the time… it was nice to feel like someone actually believed in him. It was just returning the favour, was all. Unpacking complicated feelings about a nice person who did something terrible is for people with better emotional skills than him. He’d like to just keep shoving those back down, thanks.
