I have a dream that I want to fulfill with you...

[tsugomori]

[ Well, that was an extraordinary trial to have... it was certainly filled with many things that wouldn't be lost to the memory of most, even for weeks to come. Although, the return to "normalcy" could be something that wouldn't seem like it was wanted, it was better than the alternative to returning to anything at all.

With ease, Mikazuki find himself setting up the usual party in the usual place-- that would be the library of course. Notes have been slipped underneath the doors of others, or hung up on the walls to alert them of this post-trial "celebration" -- which was more like a get-together of some sorts now than a real party. ]


Please join us in the library again. Of course, food and drink will be provided.

- Mikazuki, Orihime, Hanyuu, & Estelle

[ The food and drink has been set out, what with there being tea, vichyssoise, cream puffs, and fish for everyone to enjoy. ]

Comments

[alchemicals]

[Kimbley returns to his room immediately after they're released following the execution; he hadn't been upset at watching it, because death just...doesn't bother him, and he fully acknowledges that Kira deserved to die. But once he gets that damn note, the fact of the matter is that he doesn't want to be anywhere around people, either – he doesn't usually socialize much at those meetings anyway, he prefers to keep to himself, but now...

"...Something bothering you?"
"You might be one of the few that wouldn't find that strange."
"But I'm certainly not about to kill anyone."
...
"Did you really think I cared?"

...But now two of the people he talked to (actually talked to) aren't going to be around, and it's because one of them killed the other, and while it's a lot easier to just be angry at Kira for being a stupid bastard than it is to even think about Chiyuki at all he doesn't really want to think about either of them for too long, and if he stays in this room any longer he's going to snap.

So he's going to forego the gathering in favor of disappearing downstairs onto the second floor, not stopping until he finally reaches the chemistry lab, where he plans to stay for as long as possible. His actions are strange and mechanical once he gets there, pulling some things down off the shelves and just...staring at them for a moment before beginning to methodically combine some of them.

It's hard to say what he's trying to make. Probably not anything good, but probably not anything fatal, either. At least not immediately so.

He'll be here most of the night, really. He doesn't seem agitated, but he doesn't seem calm, either; just...incredibly blank, like the feelings are off for now.]

[neverheardofhim]

[After ducking into the festivities for only the briefest of moments, Varric made his way down the stairs. Whether he was actually looking for Kimbley or just moving robotically to work off the steam was anyone's guess. It'd been a mess of the day, had left him ragged in a way the other trials hadn't. Before, he hadn't the energy to feel anything other than grief. Now he felt guilt, mixed in with rage and indignation.]

[It was only fitting that he stumbled across one of the sources.]

[To his credit, he stayed his hand, resisted the urge to turn tail and grab a crossbow from below. Much as he distrusted Kimbley, Varric wasn't about to make a mess of things. It was like the man had said -- he wasn't about to put his loved ones through the stress of convicting him of murder.]

[Instead he cleared his throat and crossed his arms over his chest.]

Zolf.

[alchemicals]

Kimbley. No one calls me by given name except my sister.

[He still seems blank, even with the correction, and he doesn't look over; honestly, Varric could have gotten the crossbow and shot him for all he seems to be invested in conversation right now.]

If you're here to kick my ass, it can wait for a while, I'm sure. It's not like I'm going anywhere.

[neverheardofhim]

[A dig formed on Varric's lips, one that clung to his tongue and refused to leave his mouth. If he wanted to get a rise out of the man, he was sure he could. Hell, it probably would have been better for the both of them if he did but...]

[He supposed that they'd investigated enough murders for a day. Better that he didn't add his name to that list.]

Can it? It might be better for everyone else if we were to have it out here and now.

[alchemicals]

I stand by what I said. If I was interested in murdering everyone, I would have done it weeks ago.

[...]

I'm a terrible goddamn person, yeah. I'm not going to try to claim that I'm not. But I wanted to get you guys off of him, and figured that would work as well as anything else.

[iaspis]

[Jasper doesn't know if she will be joining the gathering for very long or not. Right now, it's... awkward. Because she rather liked Kira. Because Chiyuki seemed like a pleasant person, even if they didn't speak much.]

Working on something?

[Her voice is surprisingly neutral. She sounds tired more than anything else, despite how excited she'd gotten by the end of the trial.]

[alchemicals]

Not really.

[She's not the only one who seems tired, though in Kimbley's case it's more blank than anything.]

[iaspis]

Just mixing chemicals, then.

[...]

I have a number of objects from the machine in my room. Maybe we could see what happens. What sort of reaction we can get.

[alchemicals]

Maybe.

[That...seems to have his interest a bit more, at least, but- ]

...You wanted to talk to me about something, yeah?

[oyashiromama]

[While Hanyuu will spend most of her time at the gathering, at one point, she goes wandering. ...And in that, she reaches the chemistry lab. She hesitates at the door, because she always hesitates, but after a moment she walks in, footsteps echoing. She's always so loud when she walks.]

Hello, Kimbley. [He seems to respond better to his last name.] Are you making something?

[alchemicals]

Not really.

[He doesn't look over, he just keeps doing, well, whatever it is that he's doing. Making something, not making something, either way there's a blankness to his tone that implies that he's...not all there.]

[oyashiromama]

[Yeah, there's still that... She leans against an adjacent table.]

Something to do with your hands, then? ...You're usually at the gatherings, so I was surprised.

[alchemicals]

...I didn't really want to be around people.

[He pauses for a moment once that's out there, though.]

That isn't- ...I'm not telling you to leave.

[feistytrader]

[...Silver looks a little uncomfortable upon entering the chem lab, and he isn't quite sure what to say at first, or if he should just turn back, really. But eventually, he quietly sifts through the shelves until he finally finds the arsenic, then turns to Kimbley.]

You wanna make more blue fire?

[alchemicals]

[He's quiet for a moment at that; it's hard to say whether or not he even heard anything for a while.]

...Not with that. We can do it with some other things that aren't as likely to poison anybody, though, if you want.

[He sounds kind of blank, kind of tired. But it's an answer.]

[feistytrader]

[...You know, he his absolutely okay with the options that aren't gonna poison anyone.]

Got anything in mind?

[It's not very personal, and it's not very emotional, but sometimes you want to deal with feelings, and sometimes you just want to do something that comes easily to you and you enjoy and understand. And the latter, for Kimbley, seems to be chemical stuff.]

[ravagers]

[ She doesn't come in here often. Or at all, really, but when she hadn't seen him at the gathering... It hadn't been difficult to figure out where he'd probably gone instead. ]

What're you making?

[alchemicals]

Nothing in particular.

[The answer is prompt, immediate, but he doesn't look over at her; the words are more than a little blank and mechanical, and it's clear that he's just...doing things with his hands right now, rather than trying to think or process too much.]

[ravagers]

[ She walks a little closer; not so she's in his personal space, but close enough so she can look at whatever he's got going on. ]

You know, I've never even heard of most of this stuff. [ She'll point to a container. ] What is it?

[matchbreaker]

[ Elda passes the Chem Lab as he's hobbling towards the stairs after her foot is treated. And she hears that he's working in there. She considers if she wants to let it go, just walking past. But the man had defended her back during that second trial (ironically, defended her from Kira) and she had more or less spat in his face due to her own personal bullshit. And this time he had worked to defend a man who was ultimately guilty, and it clearly, clearly had left him distraught.

...

She has no idea what to say to any of that, but she's hobbling in the room at least, just to see where it starts ]

[alchemicals]

[It starts with a lot of mechanical sorting of jars and not a lot of desire to look over at her, honestly, but eventually he'll speak, and his words are about as mechanical as his actions.]

Hey. Don't usually see you in here.

[matchbreaker]

My nose is sensitive, all the smells in here get to me.

[ She's actually never been in here before, or at least no longer than a few moments... she thinks? Everything's a blur after things today ]

[uncouthhatcher]

[Gold doesn't have to stumble around the second floor, considering the stairs just keep going, but he's still not wanting to go back to his room just yet and... hello, Kimbley, you had a bad time, your whiteknightting was entirely wrong this time and boy was that a spat.

... He'll head back downstairs to make a couple of the cocktails that he's been focusing on, the ones he found at the scene, and he'll set one across from Kimbley, leaning against a shelf with his own. Gold is definitely, like, there on the drunk scale, but he's apparently not the loud kind of drunk. Or maybe it's the sobering day.]

I 'unno what it's called, but it tastes delicious, and I'm pretty sure Chi made it herself. Y'wanna drink with me in her memory or whatever?

[alchemicals]

[For a moment he just stares, but after a second he'll at least accept it.]

...Yeah. Sure thing.

[He doesn't move to drink it right away, though.]

Hell of a day.

[uncouthhatcher]

You're tellin' me. The room ain't ruined for me, though, Hanyuu said somethin' about the good memories overpowerin' painful ones or whatever.

[Whatever. He just can't stay away from billiards, that's all.]

So what're you doin' in here? What kinda shit are you gettin' into, Kimbley. I only just learned how to mix a drink, teach me how to mix chemicals.