i'll wait, so show me why you're strong

[ravagers]

[ Generally, people need time to cope and gather themselves after a... thing... like that. Unfortunately, that's not how Vanille sees it. Her thing is avoid, and once she gets out of that hellhole that's the courtroom, she makes her way to the supplies closet, then to the library. She spends some time setting up things, pushing things aside to make room. Once she's finished, and she's met up with the Party Brigade, she makes enough invitations for everyone. She slips them under everyone's doors, or hands them out if she sees someone walking around.



Inside the library, there are candles set up to provide some soft, comforting lighting. There are pots of tea, courtesy of Mercy, pancakes made by Viktor, and books (picked out by Estelle, of course) laid out on the surrounding tables. The others have provided their own touches, and Vanille's even managed to make something: sugar cookies, which are actually very good. They're flavored lightly with all sorts of flavors--not all in the same cookie, okay--and each plate is marked with whatever flavor she's put in them.

After a successful trial, it's healthy to indulge, right? Let's mingle. ]

Comments

[ravagers]

[ Well, regardless, she's glad to see him. Vanille wanders over with a cup of tea for him, too, just in case. She sets it down next to him, then... ]

I'm really sorry... about the shoe thing.

[alchemicals]

[He probably appreciates it; at the very least he acknowledges it, tracking with his eyes as she sets it down.]

Hey, it's not so bad. After all, I knew I hadn't done anything.

If I'd actually been guilty I would have been pissed off, though, because that would have gotten unfortunate really fast.

[...what the hell kind of logic.

Either way, he does seem to relax a bit, though, despite everything.]

[ravagers]

[ ... welp, at least he's not all mad at her! That wouldn't be too nice. Vanille shifts in her seat a bit. ]

Well... I'm glad you weren't.

[ She feels terrible about what happened to Kyrie... but she's pretty sure she'd feel a million times worse if it had happened to someone she'd actually spoken to... and liked speaking to. ]

And... I wanted to ask. Your condition, is it anything we can help with?

[ Getting right to it. ]

[alchemicals]

It's just the result of things being kind of bad back home for a long time - it'll straighten itself out, assuming that things stay pretty stable for me for a while.

[His circumstances were. Something. Yeah.]

Like I said, it's not like I'm dying, my physical condition's just been kind of crap for a while.

[ravagers]

[ She thinks on that, then nods, lifting her teacup in a toast. ]

Then, here's to hoping things stay stable.

[ She drinks from her cup, then thinks. ]

It'd be better if we had some kind of infirmary, wouldn't it? For everyone.

[alchemicals]

It'd be nice if we had anything to do but read, too. But it seems like our friend from on high isn't too interested in giving us much of anything.

[ravagers]

Hmm... do you think contacting him would work? Letting him know that it'd be better if we had more stuff to do?

[alchemicals]

...I don't know, actually. I haven't tried talking to him yet. Have you?

[ravagers]

Umm...

[ She nods. ]

I sent him a letter, but I didn't get a reply. I guess I'm not surprised. I think we'll have to use that other thingy, the one in our rooms.

[alchemicals]

Oh, the phone. We've got those back home, at least.

[...Unlike the microwave. The stand mixer is cool, but the microwave is probably evil.]

[ravagers]

Oh, is that what it's called? They have those on Cocoon, but they don't look anything like the ones here.

[alchemicals]

Yeah, I'm not too sure how to take the fact that I recognize these when I don't recognize much else that's here, technology-wise.

[...]

Guess we got it right when we invented them, and they didn't need to be updated.

[Kimbley.]

[ravagers]

[ kimbley... ]

Huh! I think you're right.

[ do not enable this behavior ]

I mean, those little phones on Cocoon, they look like funny sticks that can fold in half.

[alchemicals]

[Huh.]

...What do you do with them?

[ravagers]

Talk into 'em, I guess. I never used one, but I saw lots of people with 'em.

[alchemicals]

That's...strange, but I'll take your word for it.

[God, we're talking about phones. Two people are dead and we're talking about phones and this is the most normal thing that's happened all day, thank whomever's listening for Vanille.]

[ravagers]

Lots of stuff on Cocoon is strange.

[ like the military ]

When I went there, they were shooting off bright lights into the sky. I'd never seen anything like it before, but it was pretty.

[alchemicals]

[Oh, hey.]

Fireworks, maybe. I've always liked that sort of thing.

[ravagers]

Fireworks, that's what they were! [ Hmm. ] You like loud, flashy explosions, huh?

[alchemicals]

That's one way of putting it, yeah.

[ravagers]

I'm kinda curious why you like that kind of stuff. It's way too loud for me!

[alchemicals]

There's something good about loud noises like that; the shock runs straight through you, you can feel it in your spinal cord. I've always liked that sort of feeling.

They're also pretty interesting to watch, if they're done right. There's a lot of technical skill that goes into making them, too.