WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT? OUR TALES RIVAL JUST TURNED INTO A ZOMBIE!

[bloodisthicker]

[...so, uh, that was a thing that happened. Tarrlok was completely ready to do the politician thing and come up with a speech or something for most of whatever the hell that excuse for a trial was, but everything got all confusing, baffling, and horrifying and completely inexplicably, he can't find the words.

Maybe he just... needs a day. Tomorrow will probably be fine. For now, though, Misa volunteered to make brownies, and he was going to make a Northern Water Tribe comfort food specialty.

...even if they only had shortening and not actual animal fat and it'd been a while since he'd made it, but it tasted... alright? Definitely not as good as the stuff back home, but it was hard to get that good, anyway.

...there's also the matter of setting things up in a location other than the dining hall, because even though that's cleaned up, it still feels pretty tasteless to hold a wake literal feet from the place you found someone's bloody corpse.

So, a little later on in the day, a lovingly personalized note will be slid under everyone's doors:



And if the Survivors choose to head to the library, they'll find a... well, okay, it's a bunch of boxes from the storage room of comparable size stacked up on each other to kind of resemble a table. The dining hall ones don't even seem like they'd fit in the library, so Team Afterparty clearly had to improvise. One side is filled with plates, bowls, and spoons, and the other is filled with brownies, cookies, and a big bowl of berry aqutak. There are also chairs dotted throughout the room in a sort of vague circle --- close enough together that if people want to talk, they can, but far enough apart that it'd be easy to drag it off for some privacy.]

Comments

[prismbloom]

[ To be honest, it had been all too tempting to stay in her room. She'd certainly returned there for a while, but it won't do to wallow. Funny... she feels like she's in the pits. Aqua hadn't imagined that it would be her suggestion, in the end, that led to Kamui's being executed.

The whole thing makes her queasy. The cutting thing, the realization that Kamui could, indeed, heal rapidly. Aqua's at least three shades paler than usual, and she's sort of standing off to the side, watching the others. She doesn't have any sort of food or drink because she's not sure if she could even stomach it.

Her guilt is practically palpable. ]

[happysweets]

M--er, Aqua...

[ Misa's still sort of swaddled up in a blanket, but, she still can't help but go up to her and give her a cookie. ]

You should at least try to eat something.

[ When did the roles reverse here? ]

[prismbloom]

[ She takes it, at least, and bites into it. ]

It's delicious, Misa.

How are you doing?

[happysweets]

About as okay as I can be, after something like that. ...I'm a little worried about you, though, to be honest.

I'm happy you showed up.

[prismbloom]

Worried about me?

[ Someone has to, since Aqua doesn't do nearly enough of that. ]

I wouldn't want Tarrlok's and your hard work to go to waste.

[sleepingkogoro]

Need to let off steam?

[Excuse Mouri for coming and being concerned for you, please]

[prismbloom]

Mouri.

[ She lets out a sigh, pushing a bit of hair from her eyes. ]

Do you have any suggestions?

[sleepingkogoro]

As I see it you have two options.

You either talk about it passionately or you use something as a punching bag. Both are rather good to let out frustration and tire yourself out.

[Or you can drink alcoholic stuff, too. That is usually Mouri's option, but he isn't going to suggest such thing to Aqua for a myriad of reasons]

[prismbloom]

I'm not exactly sure what I'd even use for a punching bag.

[goingdigital]

[Sometime between decompressing himself and before going to the afterparty, Taichi would knock on her door.]

Hey, you doing alright?

[prismbloom]

[ A moment or several later, Aqua opens the door. Her eyes are a little red... ]

Taichi. As well as I can be, I imagine.

[goingdigital]

[It could of taken minutes or a couple of hours, but Tai would of waited. He couldn't imagine how Aqua was feeling, she was the one that suggested it. Though the red in her eyes gave him some clue.]

Aqua...

[What do you say in this situation? He didn't know really know, but four words did pop into his head.]

It's not your fault.

[prismbloom]

I can't help but feel it is.

[ Aqua's spent most of her life taking responsibility--ha--but it's never felt so... terrible. ]

He didn't deserve that. Neither of them did.

[ratingspoint]

[Oh, honey...

Mettaton will come across her after a while, when he returns to the library; he's been here and there all evening, because standing still isn't going to be a thing that happens today, apparently.

So he'll join her eventually, and when he speaks at least it's at a far lower volume than he usually offers people.]

We don't have to stay here, if you would prefer to go elsewhere for a little while.

[prismbloom]

[ She's feeling, at least, a little bit better since talking to Misa and a few others, but... Aqua's never felt so exhausted before. ]

Anywhere--other than the dining room.

[ratingspoint]

...We can use my room, if you'd like.

[Come on, Aqua, let's.]

[prismbloom]

Lead the way, then, please.

[captainobnoxious]

[After talking to Cherryblod, Sigrun's decided to see if she can alleviate Aqua's palpable guilt any, leaning on the wall beside her. She's seen people come and go all evening and she's not sure how much has helped, but it's a leader's duty to ensure no one's taking a burden on their own and... well, even if there's been no election for it, Sigrun can't help but fit herself into the shoes she's worn for over a decade now.]

It's not an easy thing to forget, huh.

[prismbloom]

No. Seeing someone die, and knowing that you've sent them to your death--I don't think I'll ever forget.

[ Because, yeah, she feels personally responsible. At the same time... where would they be, if they hadn't solved the case? ]

[captainobnoxious]

It's always a hard decision.

[And with the heaviness that she says it, it's clear that Sigrun's had to make the same choices in the past.]

You don't have to forget it. In fact, it's better to remember what you're feeling now and hold it close every time you have to decide who lives and dies. It's not a fair decision to have to make, but it's one we're probably going to have to make again in the future.

[As much as everyone would wish otherwise, Sigrun knows there's bound to be just as many people who think "I can do it better".]

But it's not something you're doing on your own, Aqua, we're all responsible. You might have suggested the idea, but I was the one who decided that was the one we were going to do and cut everyone up, and the rest of them complied enough that Kamui would have had to follow or be suspect. I can't feel guilty about it because it saved so many others.

[prismbloom]

[ The worst part is that Aqua knows she's right. She knows that in a place like this, desperation is bound to set in. It didn't with Zagi, no; but the longer they remain in the vault, the more likely it is that someone will take matters into their own hands. ]

I hated myself for suggesting it--I still do. This whole situation is wrong. We barely knew Kamui, yet--

We sent him to his death. [ ... ]

And he died so horribly, Sigrun. I swore I wouldn't let anyone get hurt, but...

[ Aqua's aware that she's close to rambling now, but... god, it just weighs so heavily on her heart and conscience. ]

I won't forget. I can't. Not while we're here.

[amygdalae]

[That makes two of them feeling guilty as heck.

But regardless of that, they can't stay like this. With a cup of tea in his hand he goes over to her, doing his best to smile.]

Hey.

[prismbloom]

Bruce. Hello.

[ She manages a smile--it's a little fragile, but she's trying. ]

How are you feeling?

[amygdalae]

[It's alright, Aqua. You don't need to force it out for his sake.]

Not the best, but I suppose that applies to everyone in general right now.

[A brief pause, then he hands out the tea.]

Here--this'll help.

[prismbloom]

I'd be more surprised if someone wasn't rattled.

[ Tea. It's a running theme for them, isn't it? ]

Thank you. What flavor?