Love of mine, someday you will die, but I'll be close behind

[feistytrader]

Please join us in the greenhouse should you feel able or need company. There will be food and comfort. None of us should be alone right now.

-Hanyuu, Jasper, and Silver

[That's the note that gets slid under everyone's doors after such a somber and saddening trial; it's not like it's going to be a big ordeal anymore given how few of them there are, but that doesn't mean that they should spend it alone.

The location of their setup is the greenhouse! ...The greenhouse has had a new addition; there is a massive blanket fort set up using an absurd amount of rope, blankets, and duct tape. The blankets span across three trees to make a considerable amount of space roughly shaped like a triangle for them to hang out under. Under the fort is a small pile of scissors taken from the sewing and art rooms. Next to them are a couple of flower crowns. They're relatively simple and don't involve many different flowers, but they're good examples of what the pile of scissors are there for.

There's also food, of course; a blanket is laid out on the floor with a large set of plates, a massive amount of eggs and rice, some of Elda's spicy fries, and... Sandwiches. Jasper's made everyone sandwiches, and the sandwiches are absolutely absurd in size due to how many cold cuts she's stacked into them. But don't worry! They aren't all meat. There's a lot of mustard, too. Luckily, they're still of a reasonably edible size.]

Comments

[acherontiastyx]

[................wait what.]

Wait, really? Wow. Um. Thanks.

[elepe]

You've been doing this for the past few weeks, Guzma. It's only right that I return the favor.

[...]

That and...well. [...she hates swallowing her pride.] I have not been a good boss.

[acherontiastyx]

Well. I've been, uh. Doing my best.

[...........how does he react to this. he feels like "yeah." wouldn't be the best thing to say here.]

...erm. What makes you say that.

Pokemon Sun and Moon spoilers

[elepe]

...I don't know how much farther ahead you are, in terms of memories. But the last thing I remember is jumping into Nihilego's world, and...there, I felt nothing but elation at the discovery, and at the thought of getting closer to it.

[Lusamine shakes her head.]

But that's it. I felt...nothing else. When I woke up, that felt entirely too jarring. I've been singlemindedly devoted to that creature, and I said some rather nasty things weeks prior because of it.

I owe you an apology, for not bothering to listen to you.

[acherontiastyx]

...oh.

[...he thinks about it...]

Yeah, I mean, I do remember jumping on in. And I do remember... getting messed with by Nihilego. But yeah. I dunno. I wasn't as into the thing as you were, but I don't think I really got how dangerous that thing was until I got hit with the fear juice. So I kind of get it.

...

I mean. I don't think I was a super great boss either, even if it's not really my memories making me think that.

[elepe]

...It sounds like you're still ahead, then. We hadn't even discussed our game plan in there yet.

[...Nihilego's 'juice' doesn't cause fear, though, it causes those to act on their instincts, why was he talking like that--okay, let's not go there, this is relatively happy somber times.]

Guzma. If you're talking about what I think you're talking about...you realize there's no way to explicitly control the situation, don't you?

[acherontiastyx]

...yeah. I mean, I think there's something that might be... after we get out? Or I get out, because there's no way it fits anywhere else.

[...he's still trying to figure that out.]

...and I mean... yeah. I'm not just talking about Vanille and Phi, though. Like... I'm still not feeling great about them, but it made me think about... other things.

[elepe]

[.......Guzma, please never say that again, Lusamine just kind of had a cold sweat at that first bit.]

What do you mean? Do you wish to talk about it?

[acherontiastyx]

...I... hm.

[...]

I dunno. I've been actually looking back on it and like... wow. Team Skull is a mess. Like, I'm pretty sure they're doing way better with just Plumeria than with me on board, because she actually has it together. Maybe they're paying the electric bills in the other buildings instead of buying another Wii U for the main building?

[elepe]

[...]

It sounds like you were not ready to take responsibility for others. Plumeria seemed responsible, despite her ways.

[All of Team Skull's ways, from what she knew from working with them. She was the punkish mom.]

Some aren't prepared for that.

[acherontiastyx]

...yeah. I guess not. I... just liked that people looked up to me and thought I was cool, I guess.

[elepe]

[...that gets a shake of the head.]

You weren't ready to shoulder that kind of responsibility, then. [...pot calling the kettle black, but--] But there's no use dwelling on the past too much. You should put the realization toward your future endeavors.

[acherontiastyx]

Yeah. I... that makes sense, I guess. I feel like I at least... learned a thing or two.

...woulda been nice if it didn't require like twenty people to die, though.

[elepe]

...There's very little use in dwelling on it, Guzma. We must keep our eyes on the future, first and foremost. And furthermore, we must keep hope that they will return to us.

[...]

Keep the lesson close to you, but do not dwell on the memories that come with it.

[acherontiastyx]

...yeah, I guess. Gonna be hard not to dwell, though. I have enough trouble sleeping as it is.

[elepe]

[...this empathy thing is so hard, why do people feel it.]

What have you already tried, then? There has to be something.

[acherontiastyx]

...eh. I just deal with it, I guess. Hot cocoa probably isn't the best for sleep, but it at least melts the worries away.

[elepe]

...Warm milk is supposedly good for sleep. Perhaps that might be of assistance?

[heck, he could even mix it in with the cocoa.]

[acherontiastyx]

...yeah, but I always put milk in my cocoa unless there isn't any.