[indent] [/indent][h3][hr][color=PaleTurquoise]Merja “Mer” Aaltonen[/color][/h3][hr][sup][i]Evergreen Library   ||  Thursday Afternoon  ||  [@Letter Bee][@Savo][@Sync][@Conscripts][/i][/sup][indent] [/indent]
Romani departed without saying anything to the group, which surprised Mer. Wishing him a hasty goodbye, she was interrupted by Alex, who’d started on another tirade of sorts. While she agreed with the ideas behind his points, she didn’t always agree with the points themselves. His reminder about the study session, however, prompted her to check the time on her phone, and she was relieved to find that she hadn’t run overtime in the library. 

At this point, Romani returned to the table, surprising her when he down to whisper in her ear. His words, though, offered comfort, acting as a token of support passed her way, and she received the latte with a smile.

[color=PaleTurquoise]“Thank you, Romani. Take care too,”[/color] she said, waving as he left. The latte was warm in her hands, reminding her that even though others doubted her, it was possible for her to keep standing up for what she believed was right. In this case, that meant giving Mikhail some final words of support to help him set the record straight before she left to join her study group.

[color=PaleTurquoise]“Alex, Mikhail’s not lying about his past. He brought proof. Here,”[/color] Mer said, sliding the newspaper clippings she’d gotten from Mikhail towards the center of the table. On top was a headline with a picture of his young self, most likely a leaked press photo published for views rather than news. Below that were more shots from different angles, each another piece depicting the event’s public coverage.

But, pictures aside, Alex did have a point: How could she be sure Mikhail had honest intentions if he’d resorted to manipulation? The truth was a reliable weapon of persuasion, and while its effectiveness varied based on the audience, Mikhail’s lack of subtlety when it came to underhanded tactics made his case feel suspicious. Despite this, Mer had wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, and that didn’t change now. Mikhail had lived a hard life, much harder than her own, and she felt that it was only fair for her to try and lift what burden she could. Because she couldn’t lift much, she’d requested the help of Philip, and though she couldn’t fault him either way, she hoped he’d give Mikhail the benefit of the doubt like she did. 

Her eyes fell onto a neutral point on the table as she thought over how she could communicate her final thoughts. On one hand, she didn’t want to hurt Mikhail by admitting that even she had doubts; on the other, Alex had valid points, and she knew from experience that ignoring them would only serve to rile him up when he was now close to settling down. What she needed to do, then, was continue to support Mikhail but maintain a stance supported by reasonable opinions. The last thing she wanted was for Alex and Mikhail to end on bad terms, and though that seemed likely at the moment, she wanted to do what she could to lessen their anger.

[color=PaleTurquoise]“I think Mikhail deserves the benefit of the doubt here. What he’s trying to do is for the greater good, not for personal gain. While his reasons might be personal, his goal is bigger than himself, and that’s admirable,”[/color] she said, alternating her gaze from Alex to Philip before she settled on Mikhail. [color=PaleTurquoise]“I want to help, but I don’t think I can do much, which is why I’m asking Philip to help instead. I’m not sure I can do more, but good luck, Mikhail. I really do hope you find someone who can help.”[/color]

With that, she wished Mikhail and Philip goodbye, packing up her notes and heading out behind Alex. The latte was still warm in her hands, and she wondered if she’d done enough to deserve such a kind gesture.