we're all living under loaded gun

[amygdalae]

[Every week was bad, but this one? This one most likely has hit them all the hardest.

All well, almost all of them. Bruce certainly can't speak for everyone here... not that there's a lot of them left now.

Anyway.

Working with Speedwagon in the kitchen the two of them whip up a decent, simple fare of food just so that their stomachs won't go empty - Bruce knows that a lot of them won't have much of an appetite at all after what happened, and he can't blame them. He doesn't have much of one himself even after the food is done.

Once everything is set up in the dining hall a couple of hours later after everything that happened downstairs Bruce goes around to slip a notice to every body's room. (Everyone that is still alive, that is.)]

I know what happened was hard to take in. I feel the same as well.
If you wish to be alone I understand, but if you need company, or somebody to talk to... there is food in the dining hall made by Speedwagon and I.

I sincerely hope to see you there.

- B. Banner

[For Sigrun and Cherryblod respectively, he'll have the note along with a plate of some food from the gathering by their door.

As mentioned earlier, there's a small fare of simple, light food and snacks for everyone to eat if they have the stomach for it. For better or for worse there's alcohol too, although Bruce certainly isn't going anywhere near it. But if anybody needs that drink after what happened, he can't blame them for the need for it, either.]

Comments

[garudynamic]

[Yosuke remembers that night, so many weeks ago, when he found Black in the storage room. By now he knows better then to bring food, or try to talk his friend into coming to the gathering. But it'll be awhile before he ushers Cherryblod to bed before he passes out on the table in grief, so he can afford to come visit]

Find anything good?

[penduli]

[ It's fine that he didn't; Bruce's plate he brought for Black is beside him, as is the tea—the former more or less untouched. The fact he's glancing up from his book after a moment is just the same as the first week he'd done it isn't lost on him, though it's not just... stare at Yosuke, this time. This time he shrugs and motions to his growing pile—they're not particularly thick novels, but the size is still impressive.

Fast readers, man. ]

There's nothing really bad here. [ Sure, some of them aren't exactly his... thing... but bad? Not particularly. ] I'd invite you to come read with me, but you're not really into that.

[ And that's not a bad thing, judging by the quick grin he has, but that's what it is. Quickly there, quickly gone, and replaced with the blank tiredness from before as he turns his attention back to his book. ]

...you can sit down though, I don't mind. [ Not if it's Yosuke. ]

[garudynamic]

[And he'll take that invitation, thumbing through the pile]

I dunno... I'm running outta stuff to do every day when I'm not poking the corners.

[Well that's one way to describe his usually fruitless investigations in every cranny of the vault]

Maybe I SHOULD start reading more.

[penduli]

You'd get smarter. [ Black looks up again, watching him a moment too long, before deciding no, we're not confronting this eye-to-eye. ] Not that you need it, after what you showed at the trial.

[ ...he hadn't taken his moment of genius well, but-- ]

It was really clever of you.

[garudynamic]

[He winces- normally he'd flush red at Black complimenting him, but... well this was different. Not that he regrets it of course, but still]

You know, about half way through all that I really thought I might have sent us all on a wild goose chase? Got us all killed.

[penduli]

It wouldn't have been anything different than usual. [ Black fingers the edge of his book, then carefully marks his page and sets it aside; he scoots closer to Yosuke and pauses, uncertain—

before leaning against him. They've been closer at this point (an embarrassing thought), and this isn't going to kill either of them. ] I mean, Miss Sigrun does that every week, doesn't she? And every time someone calls for a strip search—Mr. Cherryblod had his theory last week with Misa that sounded way too out of this world, but he was right. He could've sent us on one then too, but he didn't.

And you didn't do it this time, either. Besides, Mettaton was making it really obvious that he was the culprit—he's never made such a big deal out of being suspected before, and he was leading us around by our noses until we had the right questions or accusations.

[ ...like Cherryblod and Sigrun had had. ]

It reminded me a lot of Yato, actually. [ Maybe it's just those types of people. ] ...what I'm trying to say is you shouldn't worry so much. Gut instincts are usually right, and if they're not... it isn't the end of the world. Someone'll figure something out something to counter your point, even if you do start running us in the wrong direction. No one wants to die here, not even me.

[garudynamic]

[He leans into the contact, eyes closed, absorbing the warmth.]

I know... we're not great at keeping things on track sometimes. [But he's right, Cherryblod last trial, bloodletting catching Kamui... he honestly wonders if Mettaton honestly didn't expect them to check the phones due to some weird sense of honor over all their privacy. Or that at least one other person would refuse to show. Guess there's no way to know now]

I guess I just feel... guilty?

[It's dumb- of course he's not guilty over helping save all their lives. And it wasn't like he was the only one pressing Mettaton. Bruce did, and one things started to roll down hill so did Cherry and Sigrun. It's idiotic and illogical to feel like he does.]

Have you seen Cherryblod? It's like... like we gutted him. Emptied him all out. How can I NOT feel like that's partly my fault?

[penduli]

Miss Sigrun's the same way. I brought her back to her room, but... she was up in the workshop, and she'd been crying. I'm not surprised, but it's still... [ ...not something that he'd been prepared for.

It's not something he's sure he'd ever be prepared for. ]

It's something that had to be done. They know that. [ Even if it hurts and it sucks, for them. ] ...I don't feel guilty. I don't know if that's because I'm a little messed up [ he can't say he's not ] but... I'm mostly just mad. Or I was mad, I guess.

[ He's just... tired, now. Being mad is exhausting. He can be mad again tomorrow, but it's sort of hard to be with books around and with the night settling in. ]

[garudynamic]

Oh trust me, I'm pissed too. He knew this whole damn time. I just dunno if that's really sunk in yet.

...and you're not messed up. I mean, at least not too much.

[penduli]

That's very sweet, Yosuke, but you don't have to front.

[ He knows he's kind of messed up! And... being here probably isn't making that better, but hey. ]

I'm just not messed up enough to kill someone or run a murder game. [ ...that's the extreme end of messed up but regardless— ] Or to get close to someone knowing I might have to do something I'd regret to them if someone told me to.

[ ...Mettaton. ]

[garudynamic]

Well... I guess I'm kinda biased.

[He wouldn't have argued with Black so often if he didn't think his thought processes and emotional... everything... was wrong sometimes. He was just willing to over look it.

Something about the last thing Black says make him make a small noise. Kinda sad, kinda noncommittal. It is what it is]

[penduli]

[ Black makes a noncommittal noise to that too—he really shouldn't be biased, it only clouds judgment, but it's not like he's in any position to say any of that. He's biased towards a few people here, too.

...for better or for worse. With the way his stomach is sinking, probably for the worst. It's not like he's living for his sister anymore though, not with her gone and... Black gently tugs another book over to him with his foot, bending forward just enough to pick it up before he goes back to leaning against Yosuke.

He doesn't really want to think about this. Time to think about something else instead. ]

Have you ever thought about what our titles mean? [ ...yes this is a very sudden change in conversation, just go with it while he tries to focus on reading and fails at it. ] Most of them are adjectives, but there's a couple of nouns and verbs too.

[garudynamic]

[He'll allow the out, no reason to make things deeper then they already were tonight]

Yeah, a little. Most of them fit really obviously... some though, I really don't know. Like, I've just assumed yours has something to do with your job or something like that.

If I had to guess I'd bet mine has to do with my Persona. I use wind, and Jiraiya's upgraded form is a storm god so...

[penduli]

I thought it was sort of a poetic way of saying you'd peak early and burn out.

[ ...that's so mean, he's sorry, he's laughing a little before he continues. ]

I'm not really sure what mine's about [ he has his suspicions, but they're not exactly pleasant connotations ] but... I'm not sure about it being about my job. Investigators like me don't really do the whole law enforcement thing.

[garudynamic]

[The tips of his ears turn red- Yosuke, are you having bad thoughts?]

Rude.

Still, they're obviously not random- but if the Kingmaker picked them out I wouldn't think too hard on them. They're probably just to ID us. He didn't like it when I demanded he use names though.

[penduli]

Well, if you demand things then of course he's not going to comply.

[ No one would. ]

I don't think I'd want him saying my name anyway, though. Either of them. [ Black or William. ...especially not the second. ]

[garudynamic]

I was pretty upset at the time. It was right after... Taichi. It just came off so clinical, it drove me nuts.

I'm pretty sure I'm one of his least favorite people, but I'm not too bothered by that.

[He notices that Black picked his book up again] Hey... is what you're reading... worth reading outloud?

[penduli]

[ He honestly has no idea if it is; after a few seconds of skimming, he shrugs. ]

It's a little dry, but that's just the way books were written back then. Why do you... [ ...wait, use your brain— ] Did you... want me to read to you?

[garudynamic]

You wanna read, and I'm not ready to face Cherry yet. Unless... that's too weird? I promise I won't fall asleep.

[penduli]

[ ...no, this is fine, he's good with this. ]

It's a little weird, but I don't mind. [ It's been a while since he's been asked to... ...it's been forever, actually. ] I'll wake you up if you start nodding off anyway, all right?

[garudynamic]

Good, that'd be kinda a morbid end of the night otherwise.

[penduli]

I like you, Yosuke, but not enough to enjoy having your guts all over me. [ Bleghhh.

... ] On the other hand, then one of us would be able to see what does that and be able to tell the others, huh? But is losing you worth that knowledge... hmm.

[ Is he giving this serious thought? ...nah, he's shaking his head. ]

You're better alive.

[garudynamic]

W o w thanks buddy, you're a shining beacon of friendship. [Snicker] Glad to see I'm good for something.

[He gets comfy... he knows he can't hide here all night, even if he kinda wants to, But Cherryblod needs him. Yosuke can't help but wonder if being needed is what's keeping him going now]

[penduli]

You're good for a lot of things.

[ Black waits until he's comfy to begin, voice quiet but not too quiet. It really is a little boring, even with his slight pitch changes for character voices. ]

[garudynamic]

[Boring is kinda what he wants- just letting Black's voice kinda lull him. It's just interesting ENOUGH for him not to sleep at least, though he is leaning rather hard on the other.

He only manages a half hour, honestly, before it's a fight to stay awake]

Remind me... to come visit you next time I have insomnia.