are you ofeeling it mr. krabs

[penduli]

[ Early morning Thursday, there are papers posted literally everywhere. Someone had a lot of time and a lot of pent up nervous energy, and... well, that's not very surprising, given what they say: ]

Please come to the chapel at 2 for a happy play inspired by Shakespeare's Hamlet.
Lunch will be provided.

Ever yours,
Black

[ ...he really needs to shake that habit.

Anyway, those entering the chapel at the appointed time will be treated to some sweetly-played lyre music courtesy of Sigrun; there's some blankets carefully hung near the back, acting as curtains to obscure the "backstage" area. Once everyone is settled, Sigrun switches to a slower tune, and Black emerges from the blankets.

He's wearing a brown wig and a long, white gown with flowing sleeves; the inside of that is black though, easy to see as he swishes his way to the front and spreads his hands to the audience. What follows is an incredibly wonderful play about Ophelia—"inspired" is probably a very apt word for it, because the events are changed heavily by her reading of Hamlet's letter prior to handing it off to her father and realizing the hidden meanings in the words. She deceives her father by acting innocent and orchestrates a plan parallel to Hamlet's, set on saving as many lives as she can.

No one deserves to die, after all.

Ophelia acts out after hearing Hamlet's frustrated denial of his own feelings, deliriously giving out flowers—Black does the same with tissue roses, handing them off to anyone who sits in the front row and throwing them out to the rest of the pews, but it's all a trick to keep the men of her life from suspecting her (they'd been getting too close to realizing what she'd been up to, and if they had found out, she'd never be able to go through with it). In the end, Ophelia manages to get everyone to lay down their swords. Claudius is exiled for fratricide, and after a tearful feelings jam with Hamlet, the play ends with their coronation as King and Queen of Denmark.

...all put on by one person, and with fitting music provided by their lyre expert.

The lunches laid out are sandwiches and soups by Black, and... Sigrun's helped out, too. She's made salads (leafy things with fruits, YOU FIGURE THAT OUT) and an... interesting... bread. (It has melons, curry, and red bean paste in it.)

There's also popcorn with various condiments if you'd rather have that to snack on. ]

Comments

[garudynamic]

He'll yeah I did. Heh, you... looked pretty good too...

[captainobnoxious]

[ehehehehe]

[garudynamic]

[Sigrun please ]

[captainobnoxious]

[nope nope don't mind her

don't mind if she might play a more romantic tune on her lyre

if there's one thing that will have survived the ages it's this fucking band. even if she's not singing.]

[penduli]

[ i can't believe sigrun killed two boys by embarrassing the fuck out of them ]

[goodforsomething]

[yeah, don't pay any attention to sigrun

also don't pay any attention to stan

as he picks up the tissue roses nearest him and showers the happy couple pair with flower petals]

[captainobnoxious]

[YEAAAH THAT'S HER BUDDY!!! THAT'S HER BUDDY!!!!!]

[penduli]

[ double murder double culprits ]

[garudynamic]

[HE HASN'T EVEN SAID ANYTHING YET GUYS]

Ngh... Black, come find me later, okay? I need to talk to you. I'll be around.

[penduli]

[ you know

"I need to talk to you" never sounds good. ]

Sure.

[garudynamic]

Don't worry, it's... nothing bad?

[He does look nervous as hell though]

I'll be over here, just come poke me in a bit.

[penduli]

[ ...it's nothing bad (question mark) but Yosuke looks nervous, that's totally reassuring. A small nod, and—yeah, he'll go.

and so... yeah, a while later, he'll be back. The anxiousness at I need to talk to you and it's... nothing bad? settled up until he actually looked at Yosuke again, and... yeah. Hi. Um.

Um. ]

...you wanted—needed to talk to me?

[garudynamic]

Yeah.

[His foot is jittering on the floor really bad]

So, hm... things are probably gonna go tits up tomorrow.

[That's a given- not so much because he thinks one of them will kill- not without an incentive. But because they were 'slated to die'. If the Kingmaker was bound to the rules as much as they were, he could only attack them if they broke a rule or fucked u a trial.

Something was going to happen. And the odds were not in their favor]

[penduli]

Probably. [ One way or the other. ] What about it?

[ ...all he can think about right now are those dumb movies where people confess their feelings because they're gonna die and this is absolutely the worst thought to have right now. ]

[garudynamic]

So odds are, it's gonna be over soon, one way or another.

[He holds up a hand, as if to hush Black before he even has a chance to say anything]

And I know you think it's stupid to think about afterwards. I know, but I gotta. [Or he'll go insane.] So... if somehow we get through this, and our worlds AREN'T wreaked or we're stranded or all dead or whatever, I was wondering...

If you'd consider coming back with me. You don't gotta answer right now, but- [If White really is dead, he doesn't want Black to go back to a life that has nothing left for him.]

-think about it. And if it turns out we're stuck, well, it doesn't matter anyways.

[penduli]

[ It's a very sweet thought, and—he almost immediately shuts it down anyway, like he's done pretty much every time...

but Yosuke asked him to think about it. Black hesitates, then takes Yosuke's hand between his—it wasn't up there for him to hold, but he's gonna do it anyway. ]

I'll think about it. [ Said softly. ] No promises, but I'll think about it. Thank you for the offer, Yosuke. It means a lot to me.

[garudynamic]

[he looks away, not removing his hand. He has a crawling feeling that Black is just saying it to ease his mind... but he doesn't have it in him to call him out]


I just... I can't stand the idea of you being all alone after this. It's not fair.

[penduli]

[ Fight more battles, Yosuke, you might win some.

Though it's not like he's losing anything, either, even if Black's smile is fading a little. Being alone... he wouldn't be, not really. There's everyone at the League, there's Leo, there's...

no one else. It's not really that long of a list, and if he really was on his way to catch a plane anyway—

he'd be alone, save phone calls and letters. The thought makes his heartache more than it should. ]

I'll give it some thought. [ Much more seriously, this time. ] I'll be pretty useless though—the only languages I'm fluent in are English and a couple Alterworlder ones. Dialects aside.

[garudynamic]

I know some English, and my dad is fluent. We'd figure it out.

[He glances back at Black, then down again]

Plus, I 'd miss you. I know it's selfish but- [He shrugs]

[penduli]

I'd miss you, too.

[ ...that came out criminally fast. Black stares for a moment, then... also glances away. Maybe he shouldn't have given this dress such long sleeves, then he wouldn't feel quite as hot. ]

...I'd miss you a lot, Yosuke. [ And everyone else, but they're not who he's talking to right now. ] You— you're—

[ It might not be as hopeless as it seems, huh?

Another moment of having an open mouth, trying to finish what he's saying, before he closes it and gently lets Yosuke's hand go. ]

You're one of my best friends. [ That doesn't sound like what he was going to say at all; it sounds a little sad, if anything. ] I'm really glad I got to meet you, even if it's under these circumstances.

[ ...he's probably said this before, but it bears repeating. ]

[garudynamic]

[Yosuke recognizes that tone- he had it himself, once-

('You're...special to me')

-and while he doesn't regret how that turned out, exactly, he did learn from it. Learned, eventually, to stop being so afraid.

So when Black lets his hand go, he reaches out and grabs Black's instead, eyes focused and refusing to look away]

It's okay.

[He can't say more then that- not because he's scared- but because in the end Black has much more to lose then he does in this. Yosuke, at least, has never been able to resist getting attached. Black still has the chance to avoid some of the hurt they were flirting with. Yosuke can't forget the look on Sigrun's face during that trial- and he's sure Black can't either.

But... the offer is there.]

[penduli]

[ Black glances back at him and licks his lips slowly, thoughtfully; he doesn't have to do anything. He can smile and pull away and they can resume their ordinary lives. (Lives that might be ending, anyway, depending on how things go.)

Or he could go with what he really, really wants to do. There's so many people here though, and it's the chapel again—maybe if he pulled him aside, but—no, no, people would think things. Things they might not be entirely wrong to think.

There really isn't anyway to be discreet about this, is there.

Black leans forward, just enough that their lips brush before he's pulling away, a warm red that travels down beneath his dress and fans up to his roots. Everything feels like it's tingling, and he's honestly still terrified after everything (after all the talks he's had, after all the moments they've shared, after everything) he's going to still somehow have fucked up.

The floor is incredibly interesting, isn't it. ]

...thank you, Yosuke.

[garudynamic]

[He wants to chase after that kiss, while he still has the guts to do so. But Black's thoughts are right- it's so crowded, and a chapel. But his expression is bright and far from mad- though his breath is coming in short little puffs]

Just... remember, you owe me a favor, Will. I might have an idea what to ask for now.

[Don't die]

[penduli]

You owe me one too. [ ...a quick glance back up. It's still warm, everything is—kind of fucking fantastic, murdervault/we're all going to die aside?

Wow. Yosuke looks wonderful, he wants to kiss him again—he can't. ] ...I lied when I said I didn't have an idea of what I wanted from you, by the way. Back then. It wouldn't have been appropriate, though.

[ ...it still isn't. ]

I'm glad I said that, though. Gave you the excuse to ask about my name.

[garudynamic]

'Not appropriate', huh?

[Looks it's still Yosuke, even if his target is a guy this time. Even if borne from trauma and adrenaline fueled bravery]