Take Initiative.

[trustharder]

It seems things have been resolved - peacefully, if more than a little awkwardly for most parties involved. However, there's still work to do here, isn't there? Ryuunosuke shrugs after a long moment; tips his head up a bit. "Hey, Glory? Let everyone up." And apparently that's all it takes, though what that actually does isn't something that happens all at once - rather, panels slide out from the wall, forming a staircase up to that balcony they've been standing on. Mettaton doesn't really wait for the others to join them; he just leaves back through that section of wall they entered from, calling something back over his shoulder. "We've got another room to work from back here, darlings, this shouldn't take too long to work out." >Follow?

Comments

[psychoh]

[well. that sure was a trip and a half, wasn't it.

to say that he's out of sorts is underselling it by a long shot: it takes him far more time than it ought to for him to recognize the body his mind is sending signals to is actually his-- because, wow, losing that mind-body connection must be even more fun when you actually and literally lose it, huh? he's snapped and dissociated over much less emotionally, physically, and psychically intense events before.

and wouldn't everyone just love to see Norma Bates just one last time?]

...

[but, no. the person standing there, staring in slack-jawed bewilderment (and fear, but just a little bit) at everything, is as Norman Bates as Norman Bates is ever gonna get. god and his small favors.]

[devastation]

How are you feeling?

[Hi Norman... please don't introduce us to Norma again after we just came back to life, that would be bad.]

[psychoh]

... Huh. You know when, uh, when you have a really awful fever for a really long time, and then one night, it just suddenly breaks? I, it feels like the morning after that.

Feels strange, I think. To be real. [stares down at his fingers, flexes them. frowns.] I think. We are, aren't we?

[devastation]

I think it's safe to say that we are.

[Now that they're here with those who survived that killing game, everyone's together again... it has to be real, right?]

It does feel strange, but... I think it's a good kind of strange?

[psychoh]

I'll take your word for it.

... I think it is good, though. My, uh, my head feels a bit clearer. [which is probably not actually good at all but.]

[devastation]

That's good to hear. [... She thinks?]

... Are you still thinking about heading back home? [Or well, back to jail?]

[psychoh]

[shrugs] It's, uh, it's not like I've got any other options, right? [as far as he knows.]

It's for the best. I think.

[devastation]

I still disagree with that, but... [...Well, it's not like she can offer to take him back to her world: everyone is practically dead there.] When you're ready to go through the portal, be sure to say goodbye to some of us here first, okay? I've got a feeling that I'm not the only one who wants to talk to you before you head back.

[Or at least she's got a sneaking suspicion that Stan will want to, based on some cues she picked up from talking to him here.

She can't offer to take Norman back to her own world. But maybe someone else here can take him back to theirs.]

[psychoh]

Of course I'll say goodbye. I-It'd be rude not to, wouldn't it?

... I've never had to say goodbye to anyone before. How am I doing? [semi-serious question.]

[goodforsomething]

[Well, if there's anything that's going to get Stan to snap right back to alertness, that's it. He makes his way over quickly, scanning the room as he moves. Not everyone is exactly a fan of Norman. Hell, he's not sure he'd use quite that word for himself, but he's not...he's not going to let anything happen.]

Hey, Norman! [He claps him on the shoulder, not as roughly as he would have done when he last saw Norman alive.] How's life treatin' ya?

[psychoh]

[he actually doesn't cringe or flinch at the contact for once-- though, it's mostly the shock sort of numbing him to all stimuli than anything else.]

Alright. I think. No worse than it usually is.

... I'm, uh. I'm glad you lived. [is that how you phrase it]

[goodforsomething]

Me too! [Good enough, apparently] And havin' all of you guys back is a pretty nice bonus!

[psychoh]

[just nods slowly] Hm, sure, we're all here...

[he's quiet for a while. briefly glances up at Stan before looking away again.]

Um. Thank you. [he's vaguely sure Stan did something worth thanking, but he's not 100% sure what it was.]

[goodforsomething]

Don't sweat it. [Stan's not really clear on what he's being thanked for, but considering the last time they saw each other he's just. Not going to press on that.] It'll be good to finally get out of this place. What're you doin' after this?

[He's asking for very specific reasons]

[psychoh]

[considers this for a moment...]

Uh... Jail? Probably. I'm not sure. The, uh, the dreams stopped after that.

[goodforsomething]

Jail, huh? Been there, done that, wouldn't recommend it.

[He's not even going to ask. He's got the idea.]

You actually plannin' on headin' back just for that?

[psychoh]

... Why wouldn't I? [he... deserves it????]

[captainobnoxious]

[Well. Sigrun talked to Caren, so once Norman seems a little more not so out of it, she's gonna... you know, come on over.

... It's true there's still a part of her that can't forget that trial, un-fucking-fortunately, but. You know. She's accepted worse people. And Norman himself isn't so bad! It's his mother that's a damn problem!]

How're you feeling, skitters?

[psychoh]

Fine. I think. I-It's an adjustment.

... You're, uh, you're about the last person I'd expect. [he vaguely remembers mortal threats. knives? probably knives.]

[captainobnoxious]

[..... NOPE NO KNIVES HAHA.]

Yeah, well, I'm a very unexpectable person! And I'm giving every former ghost a go around, so. You know. [A shrug.] That includes you, darling. Besides, I haven't got much a high ground when it comes to good decisions in my life, you know?

[psychoh]

Love. [shrugs] It, uh, can make you pretty crazy, I guess.

You were brave, though. You were willing to make that choice to save everyone else, no matter how you felt... N-Not everyone can do that.

[captainobnoxious]

I just wasn't about to make the same mistake I did twice before, that's all. And killing them both right out would've been listening to what I wanted to do over what I needed to do at the time, I think, so... yeah.

[... And for really really selfish reasons but you know what let's focus on the greater good aspect of this.]

We really did end up needing them though. There was some kind of weird code to do with a bunch of buttons I didn't get, but Cherry handled it just fine.

[psychoh]

... Well, uh. Everything turned out alright, at least. In the end.

[captainobnoxious]

For most of us.

[...]

So I heard that you're pretty sure you're gonna die when you go home. From the little princess. Are you still going?

[psychoh]

... She's just, just a regular Chatty Cathy now, isn't she...? [what the fuck cars]

... I am, though. I've got to.