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

[ignorantly]

[ Shirazu is... not okay, but he's feeling more numb than sad right now, to be honest. It's certainly been a day and he's having a hard time processing things. He might cry in his room later but for now he's going to be sitting in the library with a bowl of that aqutak, spending more time staring at it than actually eating. ]

[cherryblooded]

It's good, I promise. Though Tarrlok thinks it would be better with proper ingredients.

May I sit with you?

[ignorantly]

...Go ahead.

[ He spoons some aqutak into his mouth. Sure, it tastes good, but he also doesn't care. ]

[cherryblooded]

[Cherryblod takes a seat with his cup of tea. For a few moments, he's quiet.]

...How are you holding up?

[ignorantly]

Not so good. [ But that's pretty obvious, really. ]

I feel kinda... numb? Not sure if that's better than being upset.

[cherryblooded]

It's a way of dealing with things. Getting upset's probably better for you in the long run.

[ignorantly]

[ He sighs. ]

...I'm gonna miss Zagin. He was a little weird and way too into fighting, but I liked him.

[cherryblooded]

I did too. Reminded me of myself, at that age.

[He's being honest here. Might as well.]

[ignorantly]

...What, really?

[ That's... a little difficult to imagine. ]

[cherryblooded]

Everybody I've told that to said something like that...

[Is it really that weird?]

[ignorantly]

That's 'cause it's hard to imagine you ever bein' like him. But I guess people can change a lot in 500 years...

[cherryblooded]

They do. I promise the resemblance is a lot stronger than you think.

[ignorantly]

Did you want to fight everyone when you were his age?

[sleepingkogoro]

Having a hard time believing what happened, don't you?

[At least that's the impression Mouri has. Shirazu's actual mood resembles something Mouri has seen a lot, after all]

[ignorantly]

Kinda. [ He idly plays with the spoon between his fingers and looks up at Mouri. ] So much happened in so little time.

[sleepingkogoro]

Nobody was prepared for this. I don't know if it is any consolation, but you aren't the only one who is overwhelmed.

[They just disguise it better]

[ignorantly]

...So what are we gonna do now, Detective? [ Just go back to whatever routines they've found here in murdervault? ]

[sleepingkogoro]

There's not much to be done. Some of us surely are going to continue looking for some sort of clue or anything that could help, at least that is my plan.

All that matters is to stay busy no matter what.

[ignorantly]

[ Shirazu nods; staying busy is a good idea. ]

...I'll do what I can, too.

[sleepingkogoro]

[Silence for a moment]

I don't think we have talked before. I have seen your profile already but it may be better to hear from you in person than through a profile.

So, who are you?

[A bit blunt of a question, but the point is that Mouri wants to know about you!]

[ignorantly]

My name's Ginshi Shirazu.

[sleepingkogoro]

Shirazu-san. My name is Kogoro Mouri.

[Pause. Well there was an introduction, now what. Small talk about the weather? 'hey, good thing we didn't die, eh?' Comment on the general downcast attitude everyone has?

Well may as well make an attempt to know better this guy with pointy teeth]

Ghoul investigator, eh? Sounds tough.

[...it is kind of obvious Mouri has no idea where to lead the conversation but there was an attempt]

[ignorantly]

It is. [ He pauses, his gaze dropping to the akutaq in his bowl. ]

...I don't really wanna talk about that right now. There's a lot of death in my line of work.

[sleepingkogoro]

[Geez, Mouri isn't doing a really good job distracting the poor guy. He awkwardly starts moving away]

Oh. Sorry about that.

I, um, I am going to, eh, go over there. If you need anything just call, okay? Um.

[...that could have gone better]

[ignorantly]

[ ...an attempt was made. Comic sans gold star for you, Mouri. ]

I wouldn't mind talking about it later. But not now.