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i'll wait, so show me why you're strong
[ 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. ]
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. ]
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But if anyone looks particularly down she might just hug them and pet their hair.
Cuddling. She's read that humans are comforted by this kind of thing!
Otherwise, she'll be there to sit and talk if you want.]
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[ That was... quite the trial, after all! ]
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CUDDLING!!
[ Well, she hadn't expected that from Milla, but... heck, she's not going to complain. Milla's been so kind, but it's okay to take a little more, isn't it...?
Vanille leans into the embrace, wrapping her own arms around the other woman. ]
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[He remained silent and against a wall until he figured that everyone who was coming was there. Then, he lifted a piece of paper, cleared his throat, and began to read. He was no skilled orator, finding that his words sounded far better on paper than in someone else's mouth, but he got the job done. It wasn't the first time he had to tell an emotional story. He sure as hell hoped it would be the last, though.]
Legends will speak for centuries of the brave princess, Adelina, who crossed worlds to save her sister. She, who with a clever story on her lips, would not only craft her way out of the lair of the dragon, but wrench the cure from its claws.
And so she would return home, and embrace her sister. Together they would rule, content in their happiness with each other, until time and only time took them from one another.
[Once he finished speaking, Varric returned to a wall, this time clutching the strongest of whatever had been put out. He needed it after all this shit.]
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That was quite a good speech that you've made.
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[Just what was it they had seen at the end of all that? Had those ghost stories really summoned a monster, or maybe this was some kind of 'ability'? Like that brat's 'Harvest', or...]
[Kira took a slow breath, hands steady as he picked up a cup of tea. He just had to remain calm. This had happened once, and there was little doubt it would happen again now that they had all seen how truly dire the situation was. Someone would get desperate, and someone would absolutely try to throw them under the metaphorical bus to save their own lives.]
[...He desperately needed to find what had been taken from him, and quickly.]
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[ He's holding his own tea carefully, and then he takes a sip soon enough. ]
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When she comes back, though, her eyes are a little wet, aren't they? Nonsense. She definitely hasn't been crying. She's still cheerful as ever, but it's appropriately muted; after a thing like that, she's sure no one would blame her. But she's still here for anyone who wants to talk, and with a cup of jasmine tea in her hands, she mills around, looking for anyone in need of a shoulder to cry on or an ear to talk into. ]
Hi. How're you holding up?
[ Additionally, later on in the night, she's at one of the tables, reading one of the books Estelle's picked out. She looks a lot more pensive and thoughtful, and nowhere near as cheerful. ]
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I'm certainly not having any problems. What about you.
[It's not exactly a question; she's obviously been crying for... some reason?? Weird.]
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But if anyone is looking for Judy, they'll find her sitting at (on the edge of, actually; she doesn't feel like having to strain to see over the table right now) one of the tables with a cup of tea and another mug with a few cut vegetables inside. Carrots, celery, cucumbers, things you can easily pick up with your hands.
She's quiet, looking over the notes for all the profiles she'd made during the week. You might see her carefully adding addendums to both Adelina and Kyrie's, for her own reference of course. Her usual force and drive to do things has clearly been taken from her for the time being, though.]
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We should compare notes at some point.
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if he were the type to curse, there would've been one hell of a blue streak out of room 26.
he shows up to the library relatively quickly. he's actually sitting at one of the tables, but he's still moving: his foot taps, and he's rapping something hard and plastic against the table. he seems distracted, and other than the rhythmic tap tap tap, is completely quiet.
of course, this is only when he thinks no one is looking. getting his attention will cause this to completely stop-- well, except the foot tapping. that is not going to stop.]
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...How fast can you get from here to the storage room and back.
[It's not exactly a question.]
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Orihime wants to know what Ichigo would do in a situation like this. He would undoubtedly be pissed and try to find the Wordsmith to give him a piece of his mind, wouldn't he? If only he were here--no, it's good that he isn't. She's glad she was the one to be taken and not him or anyone else.
Funny, how only a few days ago they were all getting to know each other, calmly and peacefully finding resolutions; now, it's clear that those days are over. There is reason to fear, there is reason for doubt, and trying not to give in to those even after that just happened isn't easy at all.
She's sitting off to the side, not isolated from everyone but away from where most of the traffic is, curled up on her chair and slowly picking at the pieces of one of Viktor's pancakes. ]
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Really good pancakes, huh?
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He'll soon take a quiet seat with the tea and calmly smile at anyone who comes on by. ]
... Well hello there.
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...it's kind of a greeting, at least?]
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library
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The books around that are recommended by her are of all genres. Barry Hatter, Starlight, King of the Jewels, and all such other
obvious knockoffsbooks are there. She's by herself not really sure how to interact with others right now or what to talk about.After a bit, she will start reading that book, once again, that she refused to let go.]
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What are you holding?
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Eventually she does go to the party, though, hair wet and face... not cheerful, but not not cheerful? She grabs some cookies and leans against a bookshelf, Thinking to herself, or even later on in the corner lying on her back and looking at the ceiling. While reading a book. Well... it looks like she started reading, but sort of stopped and is just staring at the pages now. It's been a while since she turned one, let's put it that way. ]
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Good book?
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room 16
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Maybe humans were the most savage animals of all.
It was hard to tell, but he definitely didn't feel as confident or safe as he had when he arrived. He probably would just stay holed up in his room but the idea of being completely alone right after a murder is...... unsavory, when you're one of the smallest and probably easiest things to kill. So in the end, he decides to join the others in the library and pretty much immediately zeroes in on the cookies.
He's also uncharacteristically quiet, no quips or wisecracks to be had as he just sits in his own little corner with a plate full of cookies to nibble on as he keeps an eye on everyone else... jeez. What a sad excuse for a party.]
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[Phi, too, will wallflower. She didn't take the fox for the type, after... everything that's happened. But stress is hard.]
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He does show up at the afterparty to get food (because he still thinks all the appliances are witchcraft and can only barely work the microwave) and hang out in the corner for awhile. He'll talk to some people, sure, but he's definitely less obnoxious than usual. It certainly isn't because he cares about anyone else mourning or doing whatever it is people do when they're upset about death. It's just because he had to get up early and he's still sort of tired.
Eventually he'll end up in the foyer, just sort of sitting up against one of the walls and staring at the clock. It looks like he's trying to work something out, and his expression is surprisingly serious for once.]
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[When he finished, however, he turned to look at the man.]
You never struck me as the quiet type.
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Kimbley will be at the library pretty much as soon as he gets the note to be there; he doesn't seem to be bothering much with the food or the books or...really even the company, he's just sitting in one of the chairs in one of the corners of the room, where he can keep his eyes on the door and on what everyone else is doing, alternately.
He's got some paper in his lap, though, and he's got a pen and occasionally he'll put one against the other and let drawings fall out; they all start with a circle at the center and several lines around, and then he starts connecting and marking and connecting and marking, radiating out from the center until he ends up with something like this.
It seems to be keeping him settled, at any rate, and even if he's not being particularly sociable he's not going out of his way to be a pain, either. Looks like he just wants to be around people for the time being.
(Dislikes: being alone.)]
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I'm really sorry... about the shoe thing.
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But sympathy isn't anything much, really.
The vampire needed to survive, and now aware of how the mechanics of someone dying worked...
Hnnn.
She goes back to Room 11, and you might hear some sounds of things breaking apart if you pass it. It's something she's been putting off for the past day or two, but it's not ... well. She's gong to sleep well, if she must sleep on schedule with that damned clock. However, when the invitation comes after that, she grimaces. But soon enough that turns into a smirk, and s the vampire can be found in the Library long enough to see how people with more sentimentality than her are handling it. She doesn't last, of course, not with this mood. No, she lasts there just long enough to let people see her, maybe to talk to Hanyuu in particular, and then leaves. As day shifts towards night, Elda Marker is left ghosting through the halls for a spell before finally just going back to her room.
Through it all she's generally keeping herself upbeat, or at least by comparison. But she's also on edge and pensive. ]
Room 11
...are you throwing furniture at the wall in there? I mean, I sympathize, but...
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But this trial's proven one thing. You can't trust anyone. A person who seems perfectly adjusted, reasonable--sane, even, someone Lusamine enjoyed being around if mostly due to shared, perceived anger went on to murder the first person on the list. For the flimsiest of reasons, even. If she could do that, really, it means that just about anyone could at this point, right?
There's a lot to think about at this point, but partying is the worst of ideas. The notice gets a small note written on the back in case someone tries to look for her--]
Thank you for the invitation, but I will respectfully decline.
[And that should be that. One is still free to visit if they want, at least, but she's not coming out of her room for tonight.]
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Vanille makes her way to the kitchen and brews Lusamine a cup of tea; she's not sure what kind Lusamine would like, so she opts for vanilla. It's a safe option, right? She puts the cup on a tray, along with some cream and sugar (cookies included, too, just a few), and makes her way to the other's room. She knocks once, then steps back to wait. ]
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How are you holding up?
[Later - much later - she'll let herself curl up in a chair, staring into her cup of tea. Seeing bad things? That's one thing. What she'd done? That was another thing entirely.]
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[ Vanille approaches her later at night. Honestly, at this point, she's not prepared to leave unless everyone's gone. Vanille has her own cup of tea--she's been drinking it like crazy, honestly--and she stops in front of her. ]
Can I take a seat?
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...and when he does show up, he kind of... looks at the tea for a few minutes and then leaves. Sorry, Mercy, but the last time someone offered him tea they killed someone and got eaten by some horrible Gengar thing. He heads to the kitchen, where he just... goes ahead and makes some hot chocolate. It's kind of janky. A little sludgy at the bottom, a little weak at the top. But he's had it this way enough to have a fondness for it, especially when he gets down to the sludge. So. Maybe you can find him in the kitchen making that.
...but after he's done with that and made his own cup (and... well, another, but that's for another thread), he heads back to the party, where he'll be for a long time. Just... kind of staring blankly at nothing in particular while eating some pancakes and sugar cookes, occasionally dunking the latter in his hot, chocolatey drink.]
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The look on his face should be more than enough to say that, though.]
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After all, some of his favorite people pitched into this. How couldn't he come?
... But he's notably less... the way he was earlier in the week especially. Not subdued so to say, considering he's got an irritated look on his face and the book he's "reading" does not deserve his glare, but definitely less the way he was earlier.
Eventually, he'll leave the party and go back to him and Silver's room, keeping the door open and staring at the ceiling with a bored look on his face.
Honestly, not a place he wants to be right now, but there's also no other place he wants to be either. Dammit.]
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[ Hm. That split lip looks pretty nasty, it's true... ]
I guess your buddy wasn't joking before, huh?
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room
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library
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However, she eventually does leave her room and attend, as she did help set it up (having made some cream puffs, as Gold showed her how to make), and she does not at all want to be alone right now. She sits and she drinks tea and eats sweets, because she really needs it, and is mostly quiet, reflecting.
...at one point, though, she stands and goes to a section of the library. She'll bring back many books, all of them fairy tales. She sits, and she reads them. In particular, she starts with one called Pale Ivory and the Multiple Gnomes.
That is what she'll be doing, for the rest of the time.]
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[Her voice is forced, but she wants to try. Yet she doesn't want to forget what happened. It's a conflict she's feeling. One where she wants to flee into her usual escapism, yet she knows it would be wrong to just pretend this all didn't happen.]
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Well. She'd honestly thought she'd seen enough to not be bothered by death. Maybe it was because organic life is different from what she expected.
She's a soldier, a veteran. Someone who spent nearly 1000 years fighting a war without end. Maybe she's a lot worse off than she thought she was.
When Jasper does eventually join the group, she sits in the back of the library, not to be alone, exactly, but mostly because she honestly doesn't know what to do. She has a book in her lap, but she doesn't actually appear to be making any attempt to read it.]
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Hi, Jasper.
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She's not turning away company, if anyone's inclined to give her some—she's just the type of person to work through things on her own. She doesn't seem any worse for wear either, despite how unsettling the end of that all was; it might change if it's brought up, but...
Well. She's not as bad off as other people here, that's all. ]
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...Hello Chiyuki.
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He doesn't really intend to approach one, but if anyone wanders into his general vicinity, he'll speak up.]
Are you okay?
[It's a question he's not sure he has an answer for himself, but he's asking it anyway.]
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So-so, I guess.
[Like, after the Nonary Game she was prepared for horrible death, just. Not that kind.]
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Watanuki does not show up at the party right away, mostly because he is wandering throughout pretty much the whole building especially near Adelina and Kyrie's rooms. He seems to be looking for something, but as time passes it becomes increasingly clear that he is not finding what he wants.
So eventually, he gives up on that and goes to the library, though he doesn't approach anyone right away. He's at the door, looking and who showed up and noting any absences. But if anyone approaches him, he will definitely talk to them.]
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Watanuki... that thing... That wasn't a spirit, was it?
[ She's definitely got the "100 ghost stories" thing on her mind. Oops. ]
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outside Kyrie's room
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